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: wax · drill · bulb · rule · race · stem · wound · spring

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. drill — a practice
  6. rule — government
  7. bulb — for light
  8. race — the arms race
  9. wound — an injury
  10. race — humankind
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. spring — a coil
  13. drill — army training
  14. race — a contest
  15. wound — an injury
  16. spring — the season
  17. stem — to come from
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. spring — of water
  20. rule — a law
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wax — to grow
  24. drill — the tool

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