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 120 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: bear · current · shower · stick · coach · prune · fan · object

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. shower — rain
  9. object — a thing
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. object — to protest
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. object — an aim
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. current — electric
  21. bear — the animal
  22. current — happening now
  23. shower — to wash
  24. fan — a supporter

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