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: pop · current · mark · degree · object · game · mate · race

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mark — a grade
  3. race — a contest
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — to protest
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pop — to visit
  9. current — electric
  10. pop — music
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mate — a partner
  15. game — wild animals
  16. current — happening now
  17. mark — a trace
  18. race — humankind
  19. mate — a friend
  20. object — an aim
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mate — to breed
  23. current — of water
  24. degree — from a university

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