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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rock — music
  6. rash — hasty
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — of the year
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. stem — to come from
  11. march — the month
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rock — a stone
  15. season — in sport
  16. rash — a series
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. stem — a stem cell

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