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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. spell — magic
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pass — a permit
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. kid — to tease
  11. spell — letters
  12. mark — a grade
  13. current — happening now
  14. tube — a container
  15. wind — moving air
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. spell — a short time
  19. current — of water
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. current — electric
  24. wind — moving air

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