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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. current — electric
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. sharp — clever
  10. current — of water
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. race — the arms race
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. shower — to wash
  15. race — humankind
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chair — a leader
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. race — a contest
  21. shower — rain
  22. current — happening now
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. sharp — exactly

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