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: court · stem · ball · roll · date · race · bulb · staff

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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 — humankind
  2. roll — a list
  3. court — for sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bulb — for light
  8. staff — employees
  9. date — the fruit
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. court — of law
  15. roll — a cake
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. race — a contest
  20. ball — a dance
  21. court — of a king
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  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