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 116 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. staff — employees
  3. bark — to shout
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. plane — a tool
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. current — of water
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. band — a ring
  12. current — happening now
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. current — electric
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. lean — thin
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. staff — employees
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. band — a music group
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. staff — a stick

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