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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. band — a music group
  4. swing — music
  5. hand — in cards
  6. plane — a tool
  7. current — of water
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. race — the arms race
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. swing — in golf
  14. race — a contest
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. current — happening now
  23. band — a ring
  24. current — electric

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