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 · calf · band · dip · ball · current · root · mine

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. band — a music group
  4. mine — for digging
  5. dip — to sink
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. current — of water
  12. band — a ring
  13. stem — to come from
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. current — electric
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. current — happening now
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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