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 120 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. last — finally
  3. bark — to shout
  4. last — final
  5. current — of water
  6. net — in sport
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. face — to confront
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. net — for catching
  15. cold — an illness
  16. current — happening now
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. last — to go on
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. net — after costs
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cold — the Cold War

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