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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ball — a great time
  4. current — of water
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. chair — a leader
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. sharp — clever
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. row — a line
  12. current — happening now
  13. tear — from crying
  14. row — to paddle
  15. tear — to rip
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. tear — from crying
  20. current — electric
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. ball — a dance
  24. chair — a professorship

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