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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cell — in biology
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rock — music
  8. current — electric
  9. rock — a stone
  10. spell — letters
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. current — happening now
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. hand — help
  17. lean — to bend
  18. spell — magic
  19. cell — a phone
  20. lean — thin
  21. current — of water
  22. bear — the animal
  23. spell — a short time
  24. lean — to rest against

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