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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. drill — a practice
  5. branch — a division
  6. firm — a company
  7. rock — a stone
  8. firm — steady
  9. field — farmland
  10. current — happening now
  11. firm — decided
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. drill — army training
  14. land — a country
  15. band — a ring
  16. field — for sport
  17. drill — the tool
  18. land — ground
  19. rock — music
  20. land — to come down
  21. current — of water
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. field — a subject

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