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: lie · bass · bound · scale · spell · current · lash · pitcher

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bass — low music
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. spell — magic
  9. bound — tied together
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. current — electric
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. current — happening now
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. spell — letters
  17. bound — certain
  18. lie — to recline
  19. spell — a short time
  20. scale — size or range
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. scale — in music
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bass — 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