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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. current — happening now
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. last — final
  7. last — finally
  8. current — of water
  9. rash — a series
  10. current — electric
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. sharp — clever
  17. deal — to handle
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rash — hasty

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