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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wound — an injury
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. row — a line
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. current — electric
  9. shower — rain
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. shower — to wash
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. current — happening now
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. snap — to click

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