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 116 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 · cabinet · sharp · net · lean · rock · bass · pass

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. current — happening now
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. current — electric
  8. net — for catching
  9. lean — thin
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. net — in sport
  20. current — of water
  21. bass — low music
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. net — after costs
  24. bass — the fish

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