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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. current — electric
  3. date — the fruit
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. roll — a cake
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. current — happening now
  12. wake — a trail
  13. field — for sport
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. current — of water
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. field — farmland
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. field — a subject

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