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 120 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. current — of water
  3. lean — thin
  4. hand — help
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. current — happening now
  7. drill — a practice
  8. hand — in cards
  9. land — ground
  10. current — electric
  11. object — to protest
  12. land — to come down
  13. object — a thing
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. root — of a plant
  22. lean — to bend
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. object — an aim

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