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

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bulb — for light
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. game — a match
  5. race — a contest
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. tear — from crying
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bound — certain
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bound — tied together
  14. tear — from crying
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bound — obliged
  19. roll — a cake
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. roll — a list
  24. tear — to rip

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