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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pop — music
  3. band — a ring
  4. current — happening now
  5. bass — low music
  6. current — of water
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rule — a law
  11. current — electric
  12. pop — to visit
  13. last — finally
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pop — soda
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. last — final
  18. rule — government
  19. race — a contest
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. last — to go on
  23. race — humankind
  24. band — a music group

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