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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · current · arm · branch · stand · net · wound · firm

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. firm — steady
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. net — for catching
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wound — an injury
  11. current — of water
  12. branch — a division
  13. net — after costs
  14. wound — an injury
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. firm — decided
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. firm — a company
  24. net — in sport

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