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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. row — a line
  3. current — electric
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. root — of a plant
  6. tube — a container
  7. current — happening now
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a word
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. row — to paddle
  12. track — to keep track
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. track — a path
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. current — of water
  17. tube — the underground
  18. race — a contest
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. race — the arms race
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. race — humankind
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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