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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bound — certain
  3. content — happy
  4. game — a match
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bound — obliged
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cue — a hint
  9. race — humankind
  10. foot — a measure
  11. race — a contest
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. race — the arms race
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. bulb — for light
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. content — the amount
  21. spell — magic
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cue — for pool
  24. foot — part of the body

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