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: court · track · hide · charge · cabinet · race · kid · current

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. charge — in control
  3. track — to keep track
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. current — happening now
  6. court — for sport
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. race — humankind
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. charge — a price
  13. race — a contest
  14. court — of a king
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. kid — to tease
  17. court — of law
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. track — a song
  20. kid — child
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. track — a path
  23. charge — electricity
  24. cabinet — ministers

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