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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. mug — a face
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bound — certain
  5. tube — a container
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. staff — a stick
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bound — obliged
  12. race — a contest
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mug — to rob
  15. tear — from crying
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. mug — a cup
  20. tear — to rip
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bulb — for light
  24. prune — the fruit

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