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 120 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. drill — the tool
  3. race — humankind
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. race — the arms race
  7. land — ground
  8. degree — temperature
  9. drill — army training
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. land — to come down
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — an amount
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. drill — a practice
  24. land — a country

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