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 116 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: pop · plane · trunk · wave · current · rock · capital · file

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pop — soda
  5. capital — money
  6. pop — to visit
  7. current — happening now
  8. rock — music
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. capital — a city
  11. plane — a tool
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. current — of water
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a line of people
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. current — electric
  21. rock — a stone
  22. file — a tool
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pop — music

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