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: mug · pop · safe · cold · stem · race · prune · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. race — the arms race
  6. pop — soda
  7. mug — to rob
  8. race — humankind
  9. pop — to visit
  10. cold — not warm
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cold — an illness
  13. current — electric
  14. stem — to come from
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. prune — to trim
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. race — a contest
  20. current — of water
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pop — music
  24. safe — out of danger

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