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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. present — there
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. march — the month
  6. current — electric
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. present — the time now
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. current — of water
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. key — the most important part
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. current — happening now
  20. present — a gift
  21. march — the month
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — a contest

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