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: fan · race · cold · arm · wind · current · bay · bear

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. cold — an illness
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wind — moving air
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cold — not warm
  11. race — a contest
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. current — electric
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. current — happening now
  22. race — humankind
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bear — the animal

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