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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. last — to go on
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. current — electric
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. current — happening now
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bound — obliged
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. current — of water
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bound — tied together
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. shower — rain
  17. bound — certain
  18. plane — a tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. last — finally
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. last — final

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