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: sharp · game · current · row · land · pitch · race · scale

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. land — a country
  5. race — the arms race
  6. pitch — completely
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. scale — size or range
  10. current — of water
  11. scale — in music
  12. row — to paddle
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. current — electric
  18. race — humankind
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. race — a contest
  22. row — a line
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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