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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pop — to visit
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bank — for money
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bank — for money
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pop — music
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pop — soda
  19. ground — the earth
  20. fall — the season
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bank — of a river
  23. ground — a position
  24. lash — an eyelash

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