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: stick · current · dip · clip · tube · band · spring · shower

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. clip — to cut
  3. dip — to sink
  4. clip — for paper
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. current — of water
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. band — a ring
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. spring — the season
  12. tube — a container
  13. shower — to wash
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. clip — a video
  16. current — electric
  17. tube — the underground
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. current — happening now
  20. spring — of water
  21. band — a music group
  22. shower — rain
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. dip — to dunk

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