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: ball · kid · current · chest · bulb · band · stem · stand

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. chest — a box
  3. band — a ring
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bulb — for light
  6. band — a music group
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. chest — of your body
  12. ball — a dance
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stand — to bear
  19. current — of water
  20. stem — to come from
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. ball — a great time
  24. kid — child

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