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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · court · tube · fan · bear · mug · current · pound

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bear — the animal
  5. court — of law
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tube — a container
  11. current — of water
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. current — electric
  16. mug — to rob
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. mug — a face
  19. court — for sport
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pound — a weight
  22. court — of a king
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. current — happening now

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