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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cold — not warm
  8. game — a match
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fork — in a road
  11. race — the arms race
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. cold — an illness
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. present — a gift
  16. stand — to bear
  17. race — humankind
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. present — there
  20. game — wild animals
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. race — a contest
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. fine — all right

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