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

Word bank: row · snap · rock · land · jam · current

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. current — of water
  4. land — to come down
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. current — happening now
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — a line
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. land — a country
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. current — electric
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. land — ground
  18. snap — to speak sharply

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