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: nail · bear · band · race · current · track · spell · board

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. board — a committee
  3. bear — the animal
  4. current — happening now
  5. race — the arms race
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. band — a ring
  8. current — electric
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. spell — magic
  11. bear — the animal
  12. band — a music group
  13. board — to get on
  14. spell — letters
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. spell — a short time
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. race — humankind
  22. current — of water
  23. track — a song
  24. race — a contest

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