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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rash — hasty
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — to tease
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. current — happening now
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rock — music
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. track — a song
  15. kid — child
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. fork — in a road
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. current — of water
  23. rash — a series
  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