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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. row — to paddle
  4. rule — a law
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bass — low music
  7. current — happening now
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. row — a line
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. date — the fruit
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. dip — to sink
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bass — the fish
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. current — electric
  20. rule — government
  21. wake — a trail
  22. current — of water
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — of a tree

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