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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. kick — in football
  3. current — of water
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. shower — to wash
  6. field — farmland
  7. last — to go on
  8. shower — rain
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. tube — a container
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. ball — a dance
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. tube — the underground
  22. last — final
  23. ball — a great time
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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