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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. current — electric
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. current — of water
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. file — a line of people
  13. current — happening now
  14. file — a tool
  15. fall — the season
  16. mine — for digging
  17. fall — to drop
  18. branch — a division
  19. cell — in biology
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. cell — a phone
  24. branch — of a tree

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