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: vault · tear · saw · current · march · tube · mouse · race

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. march — the month
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. tube — a container
  5. tear — from crying
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. race — the arms race
  9. saw — the tool
  10. march — music
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — a contest
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. march — the month
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. current — electric
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. tear — to rip
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mouse — for a computer

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