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 116 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. cap — of ice
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ball — a great time
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cap — a hat
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. mine — for digging
  13. current — happening now
  14. root — the cause
  15. ball — a dance
  16. root — of a word
  17. net — in sport
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. cap — a lid
  20. root — of a plant
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. ball — a round shape

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