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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. current — of water
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. march — music
  5. can — to be able to
  6. file — a document
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. firm — decided
  11. march — the month
  12. firm — a company
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. firm — steady
  15. file — a line of people
  16. march — the month
  17. roll — a cake
  18. file — a tool
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. can — a tin
  22. snap — to click
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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