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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. current — happening now
  6. mug — a face
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. wind — moving air
  14. shower — to wash
  15. current — electric
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — rain
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mug — to rob
  20. current — of water
  21. wind — moving air
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. mug — a cup

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