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 120 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: pass · game · current · hand · rash · band · club · present

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. club — a group
  4. band — a ring
  5. club — for golf
  6. band — a music group
  7. hand — help
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. present — the time now
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rash — a series
  15. game — wild animals
  16. pass — a permit
  17. present — a gift
  18. current — happening now
  19. club — for dancing
  20. current — of water
  21. present — there
  22. rash — hasty
  23. game — a match
  24. pass — to succeed

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