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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. game — wild animals
  3. current — electric
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. roll — a list
  10. wind — moving air
  11. current — happening now
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. current — of water
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wind — moving air
  16. row — a line
  17. branch — a division
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. row — to paddle
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. game — a match
  23. roll — a cake
  24. row — a quarrel

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