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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. current — electric
  3. pop — soda
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. clip — a video
  7. current — of water
  8. bank — for money
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pop — music
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bank — for money
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. clip — for paper
  20. current — happening now
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. swing — music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. straw — a straw man

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