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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. current — of water
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. row — to paddle
  8. current — electric
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. wind — moving air
  11. chest — of your body
  12. row — a line
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. current — happening now
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. toast — bread
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. deal — an agreement

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