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 120 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: race · fan · pitch · game · ground · bound · current · fork

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. ground — a position
  5. race — humankind
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — the arms race
  9. game — wild animals
  10. current — of water
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. ground — the earth
  13. current — electric
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pitch — completely
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bound — certain
  20. ground — crushed
  21. game — a match
  22. current — happening now
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. fan — a supporter

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