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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. current — electric
  3. mate — a friend
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wind — moving air
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. chip — to eat
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mate — to breed
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. chip — for betting
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. game — wild animals
  20. current — of water
  21. wind — moving air
  22. current — happening now
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wind — to turn a key

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