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: face · current · squash · toast · race · present · spring · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. current — electric
  4. present — a gift
  5. face — to point toward
  6. squash — the sport
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. spring — the season
  9. present — the time now
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. spring — a coil
  12. current — of water
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — a contest
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. face — part of the head
  17. toast — bread
  18. spring — of water
  19. face — to confront
  20. race — humankind
  21. present — there
  22. current — happening now
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — to crush

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