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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pop — music
  4. race — humankind
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pop — soda
  8. bound — certain
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cap — of ice
  11. current — of water
  12. pit — in a race
  13. current — electric
  14. pop — to visit
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pit — a hole
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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