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: spell · firm · arm · jam · stem · current · last · toast

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. toast — bread
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. firm — steady
  8. spell — a short time
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. last — finally
  11. spell — letters
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. spell — magic
  14. last — final
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — to come from
  21. last — to go on
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — decided
  24. current — happening now

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