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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. band — a music group
  4. degree — from a university
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. race — humankind
  7. current — happening now
  8. degree — an amount
  9. race — a contest
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mate — a friend
  12. band — a ring
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pit — in a race
  19. current — electric
  20. mate — a partner
  21. current — of water
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. degree — temperature
  24. race — the arms race

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