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 120 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. swing — music
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. kid — child
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rest — what's left
  10. press — newspapers
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. swing — in golf
  13. race — humankind
  14. rest — a break
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. content — happy
  20. press — a publisher
  21. kid — to tease
  22. press — to push
  23. race — the arms race
  24. content — the amount

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