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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. kid — to tease
  4. present — there
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bulb — for light
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. present — a gift
  12. perch — the fish
  13. kid — child
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. present — the time now
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pitch — a sports field

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