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: rock · track · fork · band · current · wound · rush · wax

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rock — music
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wound — an injury
  6. track — a song
  7. current — electric
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. band — a music group
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. current — of water
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rock — a stone
  14. band — a ring
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wax — to grow
  17. track — a path
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. current — happening now
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. track — to keep track

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