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 · mine · arm · present · perch · current · sharp · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. current — electric
  4. present — the time now
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. current — of water
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. current — happening now
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. present — there
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. present — a gift
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. staff — employees
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. perch — the fish
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mine — for digging
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. stem — of a plant

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