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: net · wax · bass · row · shower · game · current · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. game — wild animals
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. net — in sport
  6. current — of water
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. net — for catching
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. current — happening now
  11. row — a line
  12. wax — to grow
  13. current — electric
  14. last — final
  15. bass — the fish
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. net — after costs
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. row — to paddle
  21. last — to go on
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. game — a match

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