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: current · race · band · ball · bowl · degree · stem · wind

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. band — a ring
  7. current — electric
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — the arms race
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. degree — an amount
  14. ball — a great time
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. degree — temperature
  17. band — a music group
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. current — happening now
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. race — humankind
  24. degree — from a university

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