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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bound — obliged
  4. current — electric
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. current — of water
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bound — certain
  17. spell — letters
  18. vault — a safe

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