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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. swing — in golf
  3. race — a contest
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bank — of a river
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bank — for money
  8. field — a subject
  9. squash — the sport
  10. swing — music
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. race — humankind
  13. field — farmland
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. field — for sport
  16. bank — for money
  17. race — the arms race
  18. squash — to crush
  19. current — of water
  20. swing — to play on
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. current — happening now
  23. chip — to eat
  24. ruler — for measuring

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