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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cue — for pool
  3. current — happening now
  4. staff — employees
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. current — electric
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. game — wild animals
  11. wake — a trail
  12. race — a contest
  13. shower — to wash
  14. staff — a stick
  15. race — humankind
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. current — of water
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. race — the arms race
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. game — a match
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. shower — rain

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