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: wake · bore · band · current · bat · wind · stand · stem

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. band — a ring
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. current — electric
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. current — of water
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. band — a music group
  21. wind — moving air
  22. current — happening now
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bat — in an idiom

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