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: current · firm · bat · staff · wind · land · rash · mug

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. mug — a face
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mug — to rob
  7. current — happening now
  8. firm — decided
  9. land — a country
  10. rash — a series
  11. mug — a cup
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. wind — moving air
  15. firm — steady
  16. wind — moving air
  17. staff — employees
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. staff — employees
  23. firm — a company
  24. staff — a stick

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