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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bark — to shout
  4. race — humankind
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rash — a series
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. prune — to trim
  18. track — a song
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. race — a contest
  23. track — a path
  24. bulb — for light

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