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 116 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: hand · tube · lean · current · prune · fan · tear · shower

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. shower — rain
  4. tear — to rip
  5. lean — thin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. tube — the underground
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tear — from crying
  12. current — happening now
  13. shower — to wash
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. hand — in cards
  20. lean — to bend
  21. tube — a container
  22. prune — to trim
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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