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: scale · wind · key · current · pound · stem · rest · fan

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. key — the most important part
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. key — in music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. current — electric
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wind — moving air
  14. current — happening now
  15. scale — in music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pound — a weight
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. current — of water
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. wind — moving air
  24. scale — size or range

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