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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. game — wild animals
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. court — of a king
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — electric
  7. wind — moving air
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bank — for money
  12. game — a match
  13. bear — the animal
  14. court — of law
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bank — for money
  19. swing — music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rock — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. court — for sport
  24. current — of water

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