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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. race — the arms race
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. rest — a break
  7. snap — to click
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bulb — for light
  10. race — humankind
  11. shower — rain
  12. capital — a city
  13. rule — a law
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. race — a contest
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bulb — for light
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rest — what's left
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. ball — a dance
  23. capital — money
  24. shower — to wash

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