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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. current — happening now
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bass — low music
  6. roll — a cake
  7. fall — the season
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. roll — a list
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. hand — help
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. current — of water
  16. hand — in cards
  17. current — electric
  18. roll — on a roll

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