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 116 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: current · mark · mine · mug · branch · staff · cell · game

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. mug — a face
  3. mark — a trace
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. staff — employees
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. current — happening now
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mine — for digging
  19. cell — in biology
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. staff — employees

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