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

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. degree — an amount
  3. last — to go on
  4. current — of water
  5. race — humankind
  6. content — happy
  7. race — the arms race
  8. last — finally
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bound — tied together
  12. degree — temperature
  13. last — final
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. bound — certain
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. can — a tin
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. degree — from a university
  21. can — a tin
  22. bound — obliged
  23. fork — in a road
  24. can — to be able to

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