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: bulb · staff · wake · spring · bank · current · ruler · tear

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. current — of water
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bank — for money
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spring — of water
  10. staff — a stick
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bank — for money
  13. current — happening now
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. spring — the season
  18. staff — employees
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bulb — for light
  21. staff — employees
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. current — electric
  24. tear — to rip

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