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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bulb — for light
  4. content — the amount
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. degree — an amount
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. race — a contest
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. content — happy
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. stock — goods
  24. pitch — completely

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