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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. game — a match
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. current — electric
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. toast — bread
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. can — to be able to
  14. race — a contest
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. can — a tin
  17. current — of water
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. race — the arms race
  20. can — a tin
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. pound — a weight
  23. race — humankind
  24. perch — the fish

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