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: mouse · spring · scale · wound · mug · last · current · swing

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. current — electric
  5. last — final
  6. last — to go on
  7. wound — an injury
  8. last — finally
  9. spring — of water
  10. wound — an injury
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mug — a cup
  13. swing — music
  14. mug — to rob
  15. scale — size or range
  16. spring — a coil
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. spring — the season
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. swing — in golf
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mug — a face
  24. scale — in music

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