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: hide · object · kid · wind · fan · current · pop · club

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. club — for golf
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. object — an aim
  7. pop — music
  8. current — of water
  9. object — a thing
  10. wind — moving air
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. kid — to tease
  15. current — happening now
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. wind — moving air
  19. club — a group
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. kid — child
  23. object — to protest
  24. club — for dancing

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