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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. current — electric
  4. rest — what's left
  5. row — to paddle
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. file — a line of people
  8. current — happening now
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. cue — a hint
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. wake — a trail
  13. hand — help
  14. rest — what's left
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. rest — a break
  17. row — a line
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. toast — bread
  21. cue — for pool
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. current — of water
  24. cue — a signal

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