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: drill · stand · bulb · firm · race · wake · club · pitcher

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. firm — a company
  9. race — humankind
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. firm — steady
  16. race — the arms race
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. firm — decided
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. drill — army training
  22. race — a contest
  23. wake — a trail
  24. club — a group

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