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: plane · bass · pitch · lie · race · hand · rush · current

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. current — of water
  4. rush — hurry
  5. lie — to recline
  6. current — happening now
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. hand — help
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — a contest
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. current — electric
  21. bass — low music
  22. pitch — completely
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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