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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. prune — to trim
  5. row — to paddle
  6. land — a country
  7. current — of water
  8. last — finally
  9. tube — the underground
  10. last — final
  11. prune — to trim
  12. row — a line
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. current — happening now
  16. ground — crushed
  17. current — electric
  18. last — to go on
  19. land — to come down
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. tube — a container
  23. land — ground
  24. bat — in an idiom

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