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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. roll — a cake
  3. fork — in a road
  4. current — happening now
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mug — to rob
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. mug — a cup
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. file — a tool
  15. staff — employees
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. file — a line of people
  19. mug — a face
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a list
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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