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: leaves · bass · clip · content · bulb · current · straw · wake

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bass — low music
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. clip — for paper
  11. current — happening now
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bass — the fish
  21. current — electric
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bulb — for light
  24. clip — a video

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