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: ball · tube · wind · stock · perch · nail · current · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. current — of water
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. current — happening now
  9. tube — the underground
  10. wind — moving air
  11. current — electric
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ball — a great time
  14. stock — shares
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. tube — a container
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. stock — goods
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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