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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. row — to paddle
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. season — of the year
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. season — in sport
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. row — a line
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. wax — to grow

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