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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bark — to shout
  3. drill — army training
  4. race — the arms race
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. spring — the season
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. chip — for betting
  10. season — in sport
  11. spring — of water
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ball — a great time
  14. season — of the year
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bulb — for light
  18. race — humankind
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. chip — to eat
  21. drill — the tool
  22. race — a contest
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. drill — a practice

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