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: wave · mouse · bank · current · cold · rule · march · craft

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. current — of water
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. bank — for money
  8. rule — government
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. current — electric
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cold — an illness
  13. current — happening now
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bank — for money
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. craft — boats
  19. cold — not warm
  20. march — the month
  21. bank — of a river
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. rule — a law
  24. mouse — for a computer

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