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 116 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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. file — a tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — government
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. file — a line of people
  13. march — the month
  14. staff — employees
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. staff — employees
  21. stem — to come from
  22. staff — a stick
  23. file — a document
  24. fork — in a road

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