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

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bound — tied together
  4. march — the month
  5. firm — a company
  6. march — music
  7. club — a group
  8. firm — decided
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. club — for golf
  14. race — humankind
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bound — certain
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bulb — for light
  20. firm — steady
  21. fall — the season
  22. race — the arms race
  23. march — the month
  24. race — a contest

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