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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. stem — to come from
  3. firm — a company
  4. staff — employees
  5. swing — music
  6. current — electric
  7. branch — a division
  8. staff — a stick
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. firm — steady
  11. swing — to play on
  12. firm — decided
  13. cap — a lid
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. current — happening now
  17. staff — employees
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. current — of water
  21. swing — in golf
  22. band — a music group
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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