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: firm · clip · race · band · pitch · current · wave · cell

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. race — a contest
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — in biology
  5. firm — steady
  6. band — a music group
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cell — a phone
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. current — happening now
  14. clip — for paper
  15. firm — decided
  16. clip — to cut
  17. current — electric
  18. band — a ring
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. current — of water
  21. race — humankind
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. firm — a company
  24. clip — a video

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