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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. board — to get on
  5. shower — rain
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. roll — a cake
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mark — a trace
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. shower — to wash
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. current — of water
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. board — a committee
  17. sharp — clever
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. roll — a list
  21. stem — to come from
  22. current — happening now
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. current — electric

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