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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. current — happening now
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. current — of water
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. current — electric
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. jam — a tight spot

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