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: stem · jam · racket · pop · staff · current · race · court

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. staff — employees
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. current — happening now
  6. pop — to visit
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. current — of water
  13. staff — employees
  14. court — of a king
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. pop — soda
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. court — of law
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pop — music
  22. court — for sport
  23. race — humankind
  24. staff — a stick

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