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: saw · scale · wave · capital · lash · cell · track · current

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. cell — a phone
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. saw — the tool
  5. track — a path
  6. cell — in biology
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — in music
  9. current — of water
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. current — happening now
  14. capital — a city
  15. saw — the tool
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. current — electric
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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