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: spell · jam · saw · coach · fan · current · tear · stem

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. current — electric
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. tear — to rip
  8. spell — letters
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. current — of water
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. tear — from crying
  14. current — happening now
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. saw — the tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stem — to come from
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. jam — in traffic

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