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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a music group
  4. mark — a grade
  5. board — a committee
  6. race — a contest
  7. spring — the season
  8. race — humankind
  9. spring — a coil
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. board — to get on
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. current — of water
  18. fall — to drop
  19. current — happening now
  20. fall — to drop
  21. current — electric
  22. spring — of water
  23. fall — the season
  24. mark — a trace

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