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 · file · wake · roll · straw · stick · dip · key

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wake — a trail
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. file — a tool
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. current — of water
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. roll — a list
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. roll — a cake
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. file — a document
  19. key — the most important part
  20. dip — to sink
  21. key — in music
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. key — for a lock

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