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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bound — certain
  3. current — of water
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. tube — a container
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. current — happening now
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stem — to come from
  16. current — electric
  17. shower — rain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. tube — the underground
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. field — for sport
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. tube — in a tire

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