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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bulb — for light
  4. club — for dancing
  5. race — humankind
  6. cap — a hat
  7. drill — the tool
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. march — the month
  11. bulb — for light
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. cap — of ice
  15. club — for golf
  16. drill — a practice
  17. race — the arms race
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. drill — army training
  22. key — in music
  23. club — a group
  24. race — a contest

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