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: stick · track · current · bass · bear · land · rash · mine

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rash — hasty
  7. current — of water
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. current — electric
  18. land — a country
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. land — to come down
  21. track — a path
  22. land — ground
  23. current — happening now
  24. bass — low music

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