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: race · coach · clip · pitcher · wind · safe · chip · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. race — a contest
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. chip — to eat
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. clip — to cut
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. clip — a video
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — humankind
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. clip — for paper
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. safe — out of danger

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