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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. race — the arms race
  6. capital — a city
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rule — government
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. capital — money
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. race — humankind
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rule — a law
  19. toast — bread
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bulb — for light
  23. race — a contest
  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