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: current · scale · land · leaves · row · lean · hide · craft

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. row — a line
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. current — happening now
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. land — ground
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. scale — size or range
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. row — to paddle
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. current — of water
  17. craft — boats
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. lean — thin
  20. craft — a skill
  21. current — electric
  22. lean — to bend
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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