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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bat — the animal
  4. season — in sport
  5. track — a song
  6. season — of the year
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. current — of water
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bound — certain
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. can — to be able to
  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