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: sharp · perch · last · race · spring · land · current · ruler

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. spring — the season
  3. last — to go on
  4. current — happening now
  5. sharp — clever
  6. spring — a coil
  7. land — a country
  8. current — of water
  9. perch — the fish
  10. current — electric
  11. last — finally
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. race — the arms race
  15. spring — of water
  16. land — to come down
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. last — final
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. land — ground

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