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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. stem — to come from
  3. last — to go on
  4. current — happening now
  5. present — a gift
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. current — of water
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. last — final
  13. mug — a face
  14. present — there
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. current — electric
  18. band — a ring
  19. present — the time now
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. last — finally
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mouse — for a computer

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