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: board · club · game · season · race · bulb · rash · wind

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rash — a series
  3. game — wild animals
  4. season — in sport
  5. board — a committee
  6. game — a match
  7. race — humankind
  8. wind — moving air
  9. season — of the year
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bulb — for light
  15. club — a group
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. board — to get on
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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