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: march · pop · saw · fan · rush · current · chair · hide

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. march — the month
  9. rush — hurry
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. current — of water
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. saw — the tool
  16. current — electric
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pop — soda
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chair — a leader
  23. current — happening now
  24. chair — to sit on

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