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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. file — a tool
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cue — a hint
  6. firm — steady
  7. cue — a signal
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. foot — a measure
  10. current — happening now
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cue — for pool
  17. firm — decided
  18. current — electric
  19. file — a line of people
  20. band — a music group
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. band — a ring
  23. file — a document
  24. current — of water

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