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: net · current · ruler · tear · bass · key · nail · rock

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bass — low music
  3. net — after costs
  4. key — the most important part
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. key — in music
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bass — the fish
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. net — in sport
  14. current — electric
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. current — happening now
  18. key — for a lock
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. tear — to rip
  21. current — of water
  22. tear — from crying
  23. net — for catching
  24. tear — from crying

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