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: rush · saw · pop · current · hide · scale · bark · club

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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 — of water
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. current — happening now
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pop — to visit
  10. current — electric
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. scale — in music
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pop — music
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. pop — soda
  21. saw — the tool
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rush — hurry
  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