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 120 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. season — of the year
  4. shower — to wash
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. staff — a stick
  8. season — in sport
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. shower — rain
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. saw — the tool
  17. current — electric
  18. chest — of your body
  19. sharp — clever
  20. chest — a box
  21. current — happening now
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. chest — of your body

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