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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. can — to be able to
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. current — happening now
  6. club — a group
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. wake — a trail
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fork — in a road
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. can — a tin
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. lie — to recline
  18. can — a tin
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. current — of water
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. club — for golf
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. lie — an untruth

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