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: file · drill · club · bowl · stock · wave · kid · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. stock — goods
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. file — a tool
  9. current — of water
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. drill — army training
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. club — a group
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. stock — shares
  22. current — electric
  23. club — for golf
  24. file — a document

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