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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. court — of a king
  3. race — a contest
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. current — of water
  6. court — for sport
  7. current — electric
  8. present — a gift
  9. pass — a permit
  10. current — happening now
  11. race — humankind
  12. shower — to wash
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. race — the arms race
  15. pound — a weight
  16. court — of law
  17. kid — to tease
  18. present — there
  19. shower — rain
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. present — the time now
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. kid — child

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