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 116 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: prune · game · rule · current · bay · fan · face · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — a container
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rule — a law
  6. game — a match
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. game — wild animals
  15. face — to confront
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. prune — to trim
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. current — of water
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rule — government

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