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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. land — ground
  5. race — the arms race
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. staff — employees
  8. race — a contest
  9. land — to come down
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. current — electric
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. staff — a stick
  17. wax — to grow
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. land — a country
  20. file — a document
  21. current — happening now
  22. race — humankind
  23. staff — employees
  24. leaves — to go away

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