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 116 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: straw · stock · last · pitcher · stick · bound · sharp · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bound — certain
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. last — finally
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. stock — goods
  11. current — electric
  12. stock — shares
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bound — tied together
  15. current — happening now
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bound — obliged
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. last — final
  24. last — to go on

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