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: bear · bulb · rule · track · race · pitcher · mug · kid

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mug — a cup
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bear — the animal
  5. kid — child
  6. mug — to rob
  7. track — a song
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bulb — for light
  10. track — a path
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bear — the animal
  13. race — humankind
  14. kid — to tease
  15. rule — government
  16. bulb — for light
  17. race — a contest
  18. rule — a law
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mug — a face
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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