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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. key — the most important part
  6. can — to be able to
  7. key — for a lock
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. scale — size or range
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. tube — a container
  13. current — happening now
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. spring — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. key — in music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. tube — the underground
  24. spring — the season

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