ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. kid — child
  3. fall — the season
  4. current — happening now
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. tube — a container
  7. roll — a list
  8. object — an aim
  9. spell — a short time
  10. roll — a cake
  11. spell — letters
  12. current — electric
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. object — to protest
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. current — of water
  19. object — a thing
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. kid — to tease
  23. tube — the underground
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com