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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. current — electric
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. race — humankind
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. race — a contest
  12. current — of water
  13. spell — a short time
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. prune — to trim
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. prune — to trim
  19. spell — letters
  20. pit — in a race
  21. content — happy
  22. spell — magic
  23. content — the amount
  24. current — happening now

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