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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. kid — to tease
  3. band — a music group
  4. deal — to handle
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. current — happening now
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wound — an injury
  11. craft — boats
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. band — a ring
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. kid — child
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. current — electric
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mate — a friend

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