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 · chair · sharp · kid · saw · rest · track · fall

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rest — a break
  3. fall — to drop
  4. current — happening now
  5. rest — what's left
  6. current — of water
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. kid — child
  9. sharp — clever
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. current — electric
  14. track — a song
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. kid — to tease
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. fall — to drop
  20. chair — a leader
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fall — the season
  24. track — to keep track

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