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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. race — a contest
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. fine — high quality
  6. current — happening now
  7. ground — crushed
  8. object — a thing
  9. ground — a position
  10. race — the arms race
  11. fine — all right
  12. row — a line
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. tear — to rip
  15. current — electric
  16. object — to protest
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. race — humankind
  20. row — to paddle
  21. current — of water
  22. tear — from crying
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. ground — the earth

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