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: bat · cell · mate · bulb · current · can · stem · key

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mate — to breed
  5. can — a tin
  6. current — electric
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. can — to be able to
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cell — a phone
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. mate — a partner
  15. key — in music
  16. current — happening now
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bat — the animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. current — of water
  24. stem — a stem cell

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