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: mine · bowl · bulb · race · tube · perch · racket · wake

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bulb — for light
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mine — for digging
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. tube — a container
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bulb — for light
  16. race — humankind
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. race — the arms race
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. race — a contest
  24. wake — before a funeral

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