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: arm · net · race · content · suit · stem · bulb · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bulb — for light
  3. content — happy
  4. content — the amount
  5. suit — clothes
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. suit — in cards
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. race — a contest
  15. net — for catching
  16. stem — to come from
  17. suit — to fit
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. race — humankind
  21. bulb — for light
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

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