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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mate — to breed
  4. tube — a container
  5. mate — a partner
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. court — of a king
  10. bulb — for light
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. court — of law
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mate — a friend
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. race — humankind
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. court — for sport
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. tube — the underground
  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