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: pound · rash · drill · row · bat · race · bulb · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. row — to paddle
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bat — the animal
  5. row — a line
  6. drill — a practice
  7. race — humankind
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. can — a tin
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. rash — a series
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. pound — a weight
  18. race — a contest
  19. can — a tin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. drill — army training
  24. bulb — for light

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