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: track · game · sharp · drill · rash · tube · current · mine

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. drill — the tool
  3. rash — hasty
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. current — of water
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. tube — a container
  8. current — happening now
  9. drill — army training
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. drill — a practice
  12. game — wild animals
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a path
  15. mine — for digging
  16. game — a match
  17. current — electric
  18. track — a song
  19. rash — a series
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. sharp — clever
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mine — an explosive

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