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: bulb · key · lash · race · rock · chair · march · content

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. content — the amount
  4. key — in music
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rock — music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. march — the month
  11. race — a contest
  12. march — the month
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. content — happy
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rock — a stone
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — humankind
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. march — music

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