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 120 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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. band — a music group
  3. branch — a division
  4. band — a ring
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. chest — of your body
  7. court — of law
  8. bank — for money
  9. mug — a cup
  10. current — electric
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. current — of water
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. court — of a king
  16. current — happening now
  17. court — for sport
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. bank — for money
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bank — of a river
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. stem — to come from

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