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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fine — all right
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. snap — to click
  5. scale — size or range
  6. net — after costs
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bear — the animal
  12. scale — in music
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bear — the animal
  15. lean — thin
  16. current — happening now
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. net — in sport
  21. fall — to drop
  22. net — for catching
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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