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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. current — of water
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. rash — a series
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bat — the animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. current — happening now
  12. stock — shares
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. stock — goods
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — child
  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