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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. track — a song
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. current — happening now
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. spell — magic
  9. spring — of water
  10. track — to keep track
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spring — a coil
  13. cell — in biology
  14. current — electric
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. track — a path
  17. cell — a phone
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. present — there
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. current — of water
  22. spell — letters
  23. stem — to come from
  24. spring — the season

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