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 120 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 · charge · field · rash · arm · wound · ball · bulb

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. field — for sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. race — humankind
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rash — a series
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. field — a subject
  12. charge — a price
  13. ball — a dance
  14. charge — in control
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. field — farmland
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. charge — electricity

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