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: mug · current · spell · lean · wind · season · tube · arm

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. season — of the year
  4. spell — letters
  5. lean — thin
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mug — a cup
  14. season — in sport
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. spell — magic
  17. lean — to bend
  18. spell — a short time
  19. wind — moving air
  20. tube — a container
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wind — moving air
  23. current — happening now
  24. lean — to rest against

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