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

Word bank: snap · saw · race · fork · bass · patient · lean · bulb

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. lean — thin
  10. saw — the tool
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. saw — the tool
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bass — low music
  19. snap — to click
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bass — the fish

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