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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · land · hand · chair · object · bulb · present · suit

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. object — to protest
  3. bulb — for light
  4. land — a country
  5. race — a contest
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — there
  8. object — a thing
  9. bulb — for light
  10. race — humankind
  11. land — to come down
  12. race — the arms race
  13. suit — to fit
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. suit — clothes
  18. object — an aim
  19. land — ground
  20. suit — in cards
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. hand — help
  24. present — a gift

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