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: band · present · lie · wind · stock · fine · current · bark

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. lie — to recline
  4. band — a music group
  5. current — happening now
  6. present — the time now
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. fine — all right
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — to shout
  15. band — a ring
  16. fine — high quality
  17. stock — shares
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. stock — goods
  20. present — a gift
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. current — electric
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. present — there

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