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 116 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: craft · bear · chair · current · race · mug · fork · ruler

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. craft — boats
  3. race — humankind
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. race — a contest
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bear — the animal
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. race — the arms race
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. craft — a skill
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mug — a face
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mug — to rob

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