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: stick · pass · current · race · pitcher · bound · straw · wave

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. race — the arms race
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bound — obliged
  5. current — of water
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bound — certain
  10. current — happening now
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. race — humankind
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. race — a contest
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. current — electric
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. straw — dry grass

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