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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. field — farmland
  3. deal — to handle
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wind — moving air
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. current — electric
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. bank — for money
  13. court — of law
  14. pop — to visit
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. current — of water
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bank — for money
  22. court — for sport
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. current — happening 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