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: wake · current · mouse · wave · wind · pass · pop · drill

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pop — to visit
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. pop — music
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wake — a trail
  14. drill — the tool
  15. current — happening now
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pop — soda
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wind — moving air
  24. drill — army training

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