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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mate — a friend
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. current — happening now
  7. wound — an injury
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wound — an injury
  10. board — a committee
  11. craft — a skill
  12. mate — to breed
  13. current — electric
  14. mug — a cup
  15. current — of water
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. wind — moving air
  19. craft — boats
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mate — a partner
  23. board — to get on
  24. wind — moving air

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