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: cap · dip · tube · current · cold · fall · temple · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. current — of water
  3. fall — to drop
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cold — not warm
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. tube — the underground
  8. fall — the season
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. tube — a container
  11. cap — a hat
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. current — happening now
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — an illness
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. current — electric
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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