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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. object — to protest
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. hand — help
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bulb — for light
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. object — a thing
  19. mug — a cup
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mug — a face
  23. pit — in a race
  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