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: press · lean · jam · current · wind · game · mouse · shower

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. shower — rain
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. wind — moving air
  5. current — happening now
  6. game — wild animals
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. shower — to wash
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. press — to push
  17. game — a match
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lean — to bend
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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