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: fine · date · current · rule · fork · rash · swing · race

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. date — the fruit
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. swing — in golf
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. swing — to play on
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rash — hasty
  10. current — of water
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fine — all right
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. current — electric
  16. fork — in a road
  17. rule — a law
  18. current — happening now
  19. race — a contest
  20. rash — a series
  21. swing — music
  22. rule — government
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. race — humankind

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