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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fine — high quality
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ball — a dance
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. fine — all right
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. race — humankind
  15. ball — a great time
  16. date — the fruit
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. race — the arms race

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