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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. snap — to click
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. current — happening now
  15. wind — moving air
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. current — of water

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