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: dip · nail · wound · march · current · kid · mouse · branch

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. march — music
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. march — the month
  8. current — electric
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. dip — to sink
  14. kid — to tease
  15. wound — an injury
  16. branch — a division
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. march — the month
  20. kid — child
  21. current — happening now
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wound — an injury
  24. nail — on a finger

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