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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. drill — army training
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. current — of water
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. net — after costs
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. net — in sport
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. net — for catching
  13. drill — the tool
  14. firm — a company
  15. drill — a practice
  16. current — electric
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. firm — steady
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fork — in a road
  23. current — happening now
  24. leaves — of a tree

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