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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. tube — the underground
  6. last — final
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stock — shares
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rash — a series
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. race — the arms race
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. tube — a container
  17. stock — goods
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bulb — for light
  20. race — humankind
  21. last — to go on
  22. prune — to trim
  23. race — a contest
  24. last — finally

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