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: plane · spell · current · swing · perch · wound · bass · tube

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. swing — music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spell — magic
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. perch — the fish
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. spell — a short time
  12. tube — the underground
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bass — low music
  15. current — happening now
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bass — the fish
  22. spell — letters
  23. tube — a container
  24. swing — to play on

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