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: race · bulb · cold · hide · march · mark · mate · vault

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. race — humankind
  5. cold — an illness
  6. march — music
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cold — not warm
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. march — the month
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. march — the month
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mark — a trace
  19. race — a contest
  20. mate — a friend
  21. vault — a safe
  22. mate — a partner
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. hide — animal skin

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