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: nail · stem · mine · bark · kid · wave · lash · current

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. current — happening now
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. kid — to tease
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. current — of water
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bark — to shout
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. kid — child
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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