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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cap — of ice
  3. staff — employees
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. current — happening now
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bat — the animal
  10. foot — a measure
  11. staff — employees
  12. current — of water
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. cap — a lid
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. fall — to drop
  21. current — electric
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. cap — a hat
  24. staff — a stick

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