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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. root — of a plant
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. current — electric
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. current — of water
  8. spring — of water
  9. rush — hurry
  10. file — a document
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. root — the cause
  13. spring — the season
  14. file — a tool
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. spring — a coil
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. root — of a word
  20. file — a line of people
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. current — happening now

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