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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fine — all right
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bank — for money
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. current — electric
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wake — a trail
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fall — to drop
  14. tube — a container
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. face — to confront
  17. pit — in a race
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pit — a hole
  20. current — of water
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. current — happening now
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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