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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. current — happening now
  4. present — there
  5. present — a gift
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. hand — in cards
  9. current — of water
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bass — the fish
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bore — to drill
  14. current — electric
  15. race — humankind
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. hand — help
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bass — low music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. present — the time now
  23. bore — to tire
  24. hand — part of the body

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