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

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mark — a grade
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. scale — in music
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. capital — a city
  15. scale — size or range
  16. shower — rain
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bulb — for light
  20. row — a line
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mark — a trace

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