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: wound · current · shower · craft · press · tube · fan · march

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. current — happening now
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. craft — boats
  5. shower — to wash
  6. march — the month
  7. shower — rain
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wound — an injury
  11. current — of water
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. press — to push
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. current — electric
  17. march — the month
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. march — music
  20. tube — the underground
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. wound — an injury
  23. tube — a container
  24. press — a publisher

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