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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. craft — boats
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — music
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. present — a gift
  8. lean — to bend
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. craft — a skill
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. current — of water
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. snap — to click
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. current — happening now
  21. present — there
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — temperature
  24. present — the time now

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