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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. fall — to drop
  3. current — happening now
  4. band — a music group
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. fall — the season
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. current — electric
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fall — to drop
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. game — a match
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. lean — to rest against

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