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 116 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: wax · race · stick · chip · object · fork · mug · current

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. race — the arms race
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. chip — for betting
  9. object — to protest
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. current — of water
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. current — happening now
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a face
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fork — in a road
  23. current — electric
  24. race — humankind

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