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 116 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: staff · band · firm · current · craft · trunk · wound · season

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. staff — a stick
  5. craft — a skill
  6. current — happening now
  7. wound — an injury
  8. staff — employees
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. current — electric
  11. season — of the year
  12. current — of water
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. staff — employees
  15. craft — boats
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — steady
  18. band — a ring
  19. season — in sport
  20. firm — decided
  21. wound — an injury
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. craft — a handicraft

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