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: dip · ball · fall · current · degree · staff · cell · can

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. current — electric
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. cell — a phone
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. ball — a great time
  7. can — a tin
  8. fall — the season
  9. cell — in biology
  10. current — of water
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. staff — employees
  13. degree — temperature
  14. staff — a stick
  15. degree — from a university
  16. current — happening now
  17. staff — employees
  18. can — to be able to
  19. ball — a dance
  20. fall — to drop
  21. can — a tin
  22. fall — to drop
  23. degree — an amount
  24. cell — in a prison

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