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 116 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. stock — shares
  11. race — humankind
  12. bulb — for light
  13. race — a contest
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. stock — goods
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. kick — in football
  20. race — the arms race
  21. pound — a weight
  22. tube — the underground
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cell — in biology

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