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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wind — moving air
  7. ground — a position
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. ground — crushed
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. field — for sport
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. rush — hurry
  19. field — a subject
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. field — farmland
  24. chair — a leader

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