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 · tear · scale · tube · current · pop · fork · rock

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. tear — to rip
  3. foot — a measure
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pop — to visit
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. tube — a container
  14. tear — from crying
  15. current — of water
  16. tube — the underground
  17. scale — in music
  18. pop — music
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pop — soda
  22. current — electric
  23. tear — from crying
  24. scale — size or range

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