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: hand · degree · scale · lash · fall · current · chip · swing

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. scale — in music
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. current — happening now
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. swing — music
  8. current — electric
  9. degree — an amount
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. current — of water
  12. swing — in golf
  13. fall — to drop
  14. degree — temperature
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. swing — to play on
  18. hand — in cards
  19. chip — to eat
  20. degree — from a university
  21. hand — help
  22. scale — size or range
  23. chip — for betting
  24. hand — part of the body

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