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: rock · arm · saw · pitcher · pop · bulb · content · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. content — the amount
  5. rock — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. saw — the tool
  8. race — a contest
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. content — happy
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bulb — for light
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pop — music
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. race — humankind
  23. pop — to visit
  24. arm — part of the body

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