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: calf · fan · march · roll · shower · wake · current · bore

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  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. march — music
  2. bore — to tire
  3. shower — rain
  4. current — electric
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. march — the month
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. shower — to wash
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wake — a trail
  13. current — of water
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. current — happening now
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. roll — a list
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. march — the month
  22. bore — to drill
  23. roll — a cake
  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