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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. season — in sport
  3. wound — an injury
  4. object — to protest
  5. current — electric
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — to wash
  9. wound — an injury
  10. saw — the tool
  11. object — an aim
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. current — happening now
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. object — a thing
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. saw — the tool
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. season — of the year
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. fork — in a road
  23. current — of water
  24. fork — a garden tool

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