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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · current · mine · stock · bore · perch · chair · race

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. race — humankind
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bulb — for light
  11. race — a contest
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. stock — goods
  17. current — happening now
  18. race — the arms race
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. current — of water
  22. bore — to tire
  23. current — electric
  24. stock — shares

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