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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bulb — for light
  5. race — the arms race
  6. stock — shares
  7. fall — to drop
  8. track — a song
  9. fall — the season
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. ground — crushed
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. track — a path
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stock — goods
  20. race — a contest
  21. ground — a position
  22. track — to keep track
  23. race — humankind
  24. bulb — of a plant

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