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: tube · face · current · cell · rash · trunk · bay · jam

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cell — a phone
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. current — happening now
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rash — a series
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. face — to confront
  9. rash — hasty
  10. current — electric
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. face — part of the head
  14. tube — the underground
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. face — to point toward
  23. tube — a container
  24. cell — in biology

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