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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pop — to visit
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. rule — a law
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pop — music
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. fine — all right
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fine — high quality
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rule — government
  24. bulb — for light

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