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: jam · field · fan · lie · kid · arm · bear · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. field — a subject
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. field — farmland
  11. bear — the animal
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. current — of water
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. kid — child
  20. field — for sport
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. current — happening now
  24. lie — to recline

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