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 116 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: file · snap · bore · bass · race · bulb · pass · mouse

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bass — low music
  6. race — humankind
  7. snap — to click
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. file — a tool
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bore — to drill
  16. file — a document
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. file — a line of people
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. race — a contest
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. race — the arms race
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pass — to succeed

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