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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pop — music
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bass — low music
  5. last — final
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. current — electric
  9. tear — to rip
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. last — to go on
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. last — finally
  15. staff — employees
  16. pop — soda
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. current — happening now
  21. staff — a stick
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pop — to visit
  24. staff — employees

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