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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. current — happening now
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. stem — to come from
  6. current — of water
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pop — music
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pop — to visit
  15. current — electric
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pop — soda
  23. pass — a permit
  24. rash — on the skin

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