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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. club — for dancing
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. club — for golf
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. club — a group
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pass — a permit
  13. current — happening now
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. hand — in cards
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. rash — hasty
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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