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 116 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. band — a music group
  3. race — humankind
  4. bulb — for light
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. ball — a dance
  10. swing — to play on
  11. race — a contest
  12. band — a ring
  13. spell — letters
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ball — a great time
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. march — the month
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. spell — magic
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. band — a rubber band

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