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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. current — happening now
  3. track — a song
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. last — final
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. race — a contest
  8. last — to go on
  9. root — of a plant
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. root — the cause
  13. current — of water
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. race — the arms race
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. track — a path
  19. hand — help
  20. track — to keep track
  21. root — of a word
  22. current — electric
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. last — finally

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