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: toast · current · chair · fan · tube · face · wax · row

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. face — to confront
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. tube — a container
  5. face — to point toward
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. row — a line
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. face — part of the head
  14. current — of water
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. tube — the underground
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. toast — bread
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. current — happening now

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