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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. current — electric
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cap — a lid
  7. current — of water
  8. race — the arms race
  9. row — a line
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cap — a hat
  13. charge — a price
  14. row — to paddle
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mark — a grade
  17. charge — in control
  18. race — a contest
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. current — happening now
  22. charge — electricity
  23. race — humankind
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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