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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. mark — a trace
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. firm — decided
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mine — for digging
  8. race — the arms race
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. firm — steady
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cold — an illness
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. cold — not warm
  19. race — humankind
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. firm — a company
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mark — a grade
  24. current — of water

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