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 116 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. land — ground
  3. prune — to trim
  4. land — to come down
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. current — electric
  7. land — a country
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wake — a trail
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. race — humankind
  15. tube — a container
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. current — happening now
  18. race — the arms race
  19. charge — in control
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. race — a contest
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. tube — the underground

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