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

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. current — electric
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chest — a box
  9. pop — music
  10. race — the arms race
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a skill
  13. mine — for digging
  14. race — humankind
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. pop — to visit
  17. race — a contest
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. current — happening now
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. current — of water
  24. chest — of your body

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