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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. drill — a practice
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. current — electric
  8. rest — what's left
  9. field — farmland
  10. current — happening now
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. face — to confront
  13. sharp — clever
  14. field — a subject
  15. face — part of the head
  16. current — of water
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rest — what's left
  20. drill — army training
  21. field — for sport
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rest — a break
  24. rush — hurry

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