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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mark — a grade
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. race — the arms race
  7. current — of water
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. current — electric
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. shower — rain
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mark — a trace
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. race — a contest
  18. sharp — clever
  19. shower — to wash
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. race — humankind
  22. current — happening now
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. sharp — with an edge

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