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 116 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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. current — happening now
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bound — tied together
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. current — electric
  14. bat — the animal
  15. kid — child
  16. bound — certain
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bank — for money
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wound — an injury
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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