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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. current — electric
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rash — a series
  5. swing — in golf
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. current — happening now
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rash — hasty
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. swing — music
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mark — a trace
  20. swing — to play on
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. current — of water

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