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 120 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. ball — a great time
  3. shower — rain
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fine — high quality
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. fine — all right
  10. club — for golf
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — decided
  13. file — a line of people
  14. shower — to wash
  15. club — a group
  16. file — a tool
  17. firm — steady
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. file — a document
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. ball — a dance

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