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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. cell — a phone
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. can — a tin
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. spell — a short time
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. spell — magic
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. current — of water
  14. can — to be able to
  15. spell — letters
  16. branch — a division
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. current — electric
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. cell — in biology
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. can — a tin

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