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 · charge · bass · lash · stick · tear · nail · current

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. current — electric
  6. charge — a price
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. charge — in control
  9. race — the arms race
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bass — the fish
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. current — happening now
  15. tear — to rip
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. race — a contest
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. current — of water
  24. tear — from crying

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