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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. row — to paddle
  3. current — of water
  4. current — electric
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. sharp — clever
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. row — a line
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bark — to shout
  17. current — happening now
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. dip — to sink
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. game — wild animals

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