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: staff · current · lean · stem · file · ball · swing · wax

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. file — a document
  5. lean — thin
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. current — electric
  11. swing — in golf
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. file — a line of people
  14. staff — employees
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. staff — a stick
  17. ball — a dance
  18. swing — music
  19. file — a tool
  20. current — happening now
  21. stem — to come from
  22. swing — to play on
  23. staff — employees
  24. lean — to bend

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