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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mine — for digging
  4. current — happening now
  5. tear — to rip
  6. date — the fruit
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. current — of water
  9. tear — from crying
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. shower — rain
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. charge — in control
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. charge — electricity
  17. tear — from crying
  18. shower — to wash
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. charge — a price
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. current — electric
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. nail — for a hammer

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