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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. current — of water
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. net — for catching
  5. bank — for money
  6. net — after costs
  7. bank — for money
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mate — a friend
  13. row — a line
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. deal — to handle
  18. saw — the tool
  19. net — in sport
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mate — to breed
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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