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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. prune — to trim
  5. track — to keep track
  6. ground — the earth
  7. prune — to trim
  8. track — a path
  9. race — humankind
  10. ground — crushed
  11. race — a contest
  12. track — a song
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bass — low music
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ground — a position
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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