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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. roll — a cake
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. current — happening now
  7. rock — a stone
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. deal — to handle
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. track — a path
  16. roll — a list
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rock — music
  19. staff — employees
  20. current — electric
  21. staff — employees
  22. current — of water
  23. wind — moving air
  24. staff — a stick

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