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: hide · race · current · bat · bay · branch · staff · swing

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bat — the animal
  3. race — a contest
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. staff — employees
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. current — happening now
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. staff — employees
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. race — humankind
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. swing — music
  16. branch — a division
  17. swing — to play on
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. current — of water
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. swing — in golf
  22. race — the arms race
  23. staff — a stick
  24. current — electric

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