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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ground — crushed
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. land — a country
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. current — electric
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. current — of water
  10. ground — a position
  11. snap — to click
  12. wake — a trail
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. ground — the earth
  15. game — a match
  16. bore — to drill
  17. game — wild animals
  18. current — happening now
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bore — to tire
  21. land — ground
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. land — to come down

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