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 116 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bank — for money
  3. current — happening now
  4. court — of law
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. race — humankind
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bank — for money
  9. race — the arms race
  10. current — of water
  11. court — of a king
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. kid — child
  15. tear — to rip
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. race — a contest
  18. current — electric
  19. bank — of a river
  20. ground — the earth
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. tear — from crying
  23. kid — to tease
  24. court — for sport

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