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 120 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: foot · staff · fall · ball · rock · game · current · bass

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. current — happening now
  5. fall — to drop
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bass — low music
  8. ball — a great time
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a match
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. current — electric
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. current — of water
  16. fall — the season
  17. bass — the fish
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rock — music
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. staff — a stick
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rock — a stone

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