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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. net — for catching
  3. current — of water
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. staff — employees
  7. net — after costs
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. rock — music
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. sharp — clever
  22. staff — a stick
  23. net — in sport
  24. staff — employees

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