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: rock · current · bass · pitcher · band · bear · court · bat

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. court — for sport
  4. current — electric
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bass — low music
  11. court — of a king
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. court — of law
  18. band — a music group
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. band — a ring
  24. bat — in an idiom

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