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: foot · wind · plane · race · racket · dip · sharp · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. dip — to sink
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wind — moving air
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. race — humankind
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wind — moving air
  16. current — of water
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. race — a contest
  19. sharp — clever
  20. plane — a tool
  21. foot — a measure
  22. race — the arms race
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. current — electric

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