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 · sharp · rush · band · bank · pit · last · bark

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rush — hurry
  5. last — to go on
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. current — of water
  8. bank — for money
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bank — of a river
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bank — for money
  16. current — happening now
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bark — to shout
  19. last — finally
  20. band — a music group
  21. last — final
  22. band — a ring
  23. pit — in a race
  24. sharp — exactly

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