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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bark — to shout
  5. content — happy
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rest — a break
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. capital — money
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bulb — for light
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. wake — a trail
  23. capital — a city
  24. wake — before a funeral

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