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: current · wound · kick · ground · bank · row · dip · fine

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. ground — crushed
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. current — of water
  5. row — to paddle
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bank — for money
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. current — electric
  10. fine — high quality
  11. kick — in football
  12. current — happening now
  13. bank — of a river
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fine — all right
  19. bank — for money
  20. row — a line
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. ground — a position
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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