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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. race — the arms race
  3. branch — a division
  4. current — happening now
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. race — humankind
  7. ground — the earth
  8. race — a contest
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wind — moving air
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. ground — crushed
  13. wind — moving air
  14. plane — a tool
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. ground — a position
  18. branch — of a bank

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