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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — final
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. race — a contest
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. race — humankind
  10. bore — to tire
  11. last — finally
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. race — the arms race
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. game — a match
  19. current — of water
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. current — electric
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. current — happening now

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