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: cap · court · stem · current · bound · cell · leaves · object

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cell — a phone
  4. object — to protest
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. cell — in biology
  7. stem — to come from
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. court — for sport
  12. object — a thing
  13. bound — tied together
  14. cap — a hat
  15. object — an aim
  16. bound — obliged
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bound — certain
  19. cap — of ice
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. court — of a king

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