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: wake · current · kid · fan · arm · land · bowl · dip

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. kid — child
  6. land — ground
  7. current — happening now
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. land — a country
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. kid — to tease
  17. dip — to sink
  18. current — electric
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. land — to come down
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. current — of water
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. wake — a trail

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