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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. current — electric
  3. tube — the underground
  4. wind — moving air
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wind — moving air
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. land — to come down
  10. tear — to rip
  11. board — a committee
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. tear — from crying
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. roll — a list
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. land — ground
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. land — a country
  24. roll — a cake

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