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: foot · bark · ball · wind · row · wave · pop · current

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. current — electric
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pop — music
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. current — happening now
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pop — soda
  14. bark — to shout
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wind — moving air
  17. row — to paddle
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pop — to visit
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. current — of water
  24. ball — a dance

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