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: bank · snap · drill · lash · mouse · pit · scale · current

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bank — of a river
  3. current — of water
  4. snap — to click
  5. scale — in music
  6. bank — for money
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. drill — army training
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. scale — size or range
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bank — for money
  14. current — happening now
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. current — electric
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. drill — a practice
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

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