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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. current — happening now
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. band — a ring
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rock — a stone
  12. drill — the tool
  13. current — electric
  14. rock — music
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. current — of water
  18. bat — the animal
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. wake — a trail
  22. band — a music group
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. drill — army training

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