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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. current — of water
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. hand — in cards
  5. current — happening now
  6. pop — music
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pop — soda
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — to paddle
  16. tube — a container
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. pop — to visit
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. row — a line
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. current — electric

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