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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. cue — a signal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. tear — from crying
  8. present — the time now
  9. cue — a hint
  10. current — electric
  11. tear — to rip
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lean — to bend
  14. current — of water
  15. lean — thin
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. tear — from crying
  21. current — happening now
  22. pitch — completely
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cue — for pool

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