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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fork — in a road
  6. mine — for digging
  7. rash — a series
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rash — hasty
  12. race — a contest
  13. root — the cause
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. race — humankind
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. root — of a word
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. root — 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