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 116 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: prune · straw · drill · current · cell · bulb · band · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. current — happening now
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. cell — in biology
  5. prune — to trim
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. current — of water
  11. drill — army training
  12. mate — a friend
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bulb — for light
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. drill — a practice
  17. current — electric
  18. band — a ring
  19. mate — to breed
  20. drill — the tool
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cell — a phone

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