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 120 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: current · mug · chair · lash · march · foot · race · craft

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. mug — to rob
  3. current — of water
  4. craft — a skill
  5. current — electric
  6. mug — a cup
  7. march — the month
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mug — a face
  10. race — humankind
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. march — the month
  14. race — the arms race
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. foot — a measure
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. march — music
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. current — happening now
  23. race — a contest
  24. foot — the bottom

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