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 120 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: stem · current · wake · bound · kick · bay · cap · rash

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cap — a hat
  5. rash — a series
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stem — to come from
  8. rash — hasty
  9. current — of water
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. current — electric
  12. bound — certain
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. wake — a trail
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. current — happening now
  21. kick — in football
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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