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: race · land · mug · bore · scale · dip · wax · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mug — to rob
  3. land — ground
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bore — to tire
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wax — to grow
  10. scale — size or range
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. race — humankind
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. current — happening now
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. current — of water
  18. scale — in music
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. race — a contest
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. race — the arms race
  24. mug — a face

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