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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. race — humankind
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. face — to point toward
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bark — to shout
  9. cold — not warm
  10. current — electric
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. race — the arms race
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. face — part of the head
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. face — to confront
  21. wax — to grow
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. current — of water
  24. race — a contest

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