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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. current — of water
  3. band — a ring
  4. roll — a cake
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. band — a music group
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. current — happening now
  14. tear — from crying
  15. spell — letters
  16. stock — goods
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. current — electric
  22. roll — a list
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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