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: rest · jam · land · current · wind · net · deal · pound

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. rest — what's left
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. land — ground
  7. net — for catching
  8. current — happening now
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rest — what's left
  11. current — electric
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wind — moving air
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. current — of water
  18. rest — a break
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — to handle
  21. net — in sport
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. net — after costs

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