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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. current — happening now
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. race — a contest
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. race — the arms race
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. race — humankind
  16. chair — a leader
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. current — electric
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. current — of water
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. rush — to hurry

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