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: present · bear · current · wound · mug · drill · shower · stick

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. current — happening now
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. shower — to wash
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bear — the animal
  9. drill — army training
  10. present — there
  11. drill — the tool
  12. current — electric
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. present — the time now
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. current — of water
  20. mug — a face
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. present — a gift
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mug — to rob

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