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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. current — of water
  5. cap — a hat
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cap — a lid
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. tube — a container
  13. current — electric
  14. pop — to visit
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. current — happening now
  17. pop — music
  18. club — for golf
  19. pop — soda
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. tube — the underground
  22. club — a group
  23. cap — of ice
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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