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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. saw — the tool
  3. current — electric
  4. rash — hasty
  5. saw — the tool
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rash — a series
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. current — happening now
  13. race — humankind
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. race — a contest
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. current — of water
  23. race — the arms race
  24. snap — to click

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