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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. current — electric
  6. branch — a division
  7. cap — of ice
  8. ball — a great time
  9. current — happening now
  10. cell — in biology
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a ring
  13. current — of water
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. band — a music group
  19. snap — to click
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cell — a phone
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. cap — a hat
  24. ball — a round shape

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