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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. craft — boats
  3. current — electric
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. press — newspapers
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. current — happening now
  8. press — to push
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. march — music
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. march — the month
  20. craft — a skill
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. current — of water
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. trunk — of a car

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