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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. track — a path
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. season — of the year
  7. club — for golf
  8. pound — a weight
  9. current — electric
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. track — to keep track
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. track — a song
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. current — happening now
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. season — in sport

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