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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. game — wild animals
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. current — of water
  6. last — to go on
  7. current — happening now
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. current — electric
  10. last — final
  11. race — the arms race
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. race — humankind
  14. rash — hasty
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. last — finally
  17. pound — a weight
  18. rash — a series
  19. race — a contest
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. fan — to cool the air

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