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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. current — electric
  4. rule — a law
  5. race — humankind
  6. current — happening now
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. race — a contest
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. race — the arms race
  15. court — of law
  16. current — of water
  17. court — for sport
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. hand — help
  23. court — of a king
  24. snap — to click

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