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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. current — electric
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — to tease
  7. land — a country
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. current — of water
  11. saw — the tool
  12. current — happening now
  13. shower — rain
  14. kid — child
  15. shower — to wash
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mate — a friend
  19. land — to come down
  20. mate — to breed
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rock — music
  23. land — ground
  24. mate — a partner

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