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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. drill — a practice
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. drill — army training
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. present — there
  9. race — the arms race
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. present — the time now
  12. season — in sport
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. present — a gift
  16. bulb — for light
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. row — a line
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. season — of the year
  23. row — to paddle
  24. drill — the tool

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