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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. current — electric
  4. toast — bread
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. current — happening now
  8. bat — the animal
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. row — a line
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. row — to paddle
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. dip — to sink
  19. fine — high quality
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. current — of water
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. fine — all right

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