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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. game — wild animals
  3. current — of water
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. game — a match
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. land — ground
  10. ground — the earth
  11. current — electric
  12. saw — the tool
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ground — a position
  15. tear — to rip
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. tear — from crying
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. current — happening now
  22. ground — crushed
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fall — the season

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