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: rock · race · pitcher · nail · hand · charge · stock · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. rock — music
  4. race — humankind
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. charge — in control
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. charge — a price
  10. hand — help
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stock — shares
  14. hand — in cards
  15. current — of water
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. race — a contest
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. stock — goods
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. current — electric
  22. race — the arms race
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. charge — electricity

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