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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. rest — a break
  3. vault — a safe
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rest — what's left
  6. race — humankind
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. net — in sport
  13. cell — in biology
  14. net — after costs
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. net — for catching
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. current — happening now

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