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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. court — for sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. mate — a partner
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rash — a series
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mate — a friend
  15. current — electric
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rash — hasty
  18. kick — in football
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. court — of law
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. shower — to wash
  23. court — of a king
  24. sharp — exactly

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