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: current · last · vault · scale · rule · track · lean · straw

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. current — happening now
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. current — of water
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. rule — a law
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. lean — to bend
  13. vault — a safe
  14. track — to keep track
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. current — electric
  17. last — final
  18. lean — thin
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. last — to go on
  21. rule — government
  22. last — finally
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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