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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · net · trunk · club · face · kid

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. net — after costs
  3. face — to confront
  4. net — in sport
  5. kid — to tease
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. club — a group
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. club — for golf
  11. net — for catching
  12. club — for dancing
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. current — electric
  16. kid — child
  17. current — happening now
  18. trunk — of a tree

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