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: chair · drill · cell · branch · current · date · bat · fan

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. current — happening now
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. current — of water
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. current — electric
  13. bat — the animal
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. cell — a phone
  16. chair — a leader
  17. drill — the tool
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. drill — a practice
  20. branch — a division
  21. drill — army training
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. date — the fruit

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