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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. band — a ring
  3. current — of water
  4. current — electric
  5. track — a path
  6. cue — for pool
  7. roll — a cake
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. current — happening now
  12. track — to keep track
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. sharp — clever
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. track — a song
  21. cue — a signal
  22. chair — a leader
  23. cue — a hint
  24. band — a music group

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