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: row · firm · hide · wind · date · current · bound · bat

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. firm — decided
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. current — electric
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — steady
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. row — a line
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. current — happening now
  18. bat — the animal
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bound — obliged
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. row — to paddle

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