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

Word bank: band · pitcher · straw · row · current · sharp · rock · stock

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rock — music
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. sharp — clever
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. row — to paddle
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. row — a line
  16. stock — shares
  17. band — a ring
  18. stock — goods
  19. band — a music group
  20. current — happening now
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. rock — a stone
  24. stock — a soup base

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