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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. lean — thin
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. current — of water
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. current — happening now
  11. land — a country
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. land — to come down
  15. drill — army training
  16. branch — a division
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. current — electric
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. land — ground
  24. staff — employees

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