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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. race — a contest
  3. pit — a hole
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bound — certain
  6. rush — hurry
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pop — soda
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. race — humankind
  14. pop — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bound — obliged
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pop — to visit
  24. wax — to grow

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