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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bulb — for light
  3. spring — of water
  4. present — a gift
  5. spring — a coil
  6. board — a committee
  7. bulb — for light
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. board — to get on
  10. swing — to play on
  11. scale — in music
  12. swing — music
  13. present — the time now
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. swing — in golf
  17. file — a document
  18. present — there
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. spring — the season
  21. file — a tool
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. staff — employees
  24. scale — size or range

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