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 · bulb · branch · mug · march · rush · firm · cold

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. race — humankind
  3. branch — a division
  4. march — the month
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. firm — decided
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mug — a cup
  9. firm — a company
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cold — not warm
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. march — the month
  14. firm — steady
  15. bulb — for light
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mug — to rob
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mug — a face
  21. cold — an illness
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. march — music
  24. race — a contest

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