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 · last · tube · swing · vault · lash · scale · wind

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. swing — music
  5. current — of water
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wind — moving air
  8. vault — a safe
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. last — final
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. last — finally
  14. swing — to play on
  15. last — to go on
  16. current — electric
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. tube — a container
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. swing — in golf
  22. current — happening now
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — size or range

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