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 · swing · tear · lean · rush · spell · cap · roll

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. current — of water
  3. spell — letters
  4. lean — to bend
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. roll — a cake
  11. current — happening now
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cap — a lid
  14. tear — to rip
  15. cap — a hat
  16. lean — thin
  17. spell — magic
  18. cap — of ice
  19. rush — hurry
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. spell — a short time
  23. roll — a list
  24. current — electric

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