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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. tear — to rip
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. tear — from crying
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bulb — for light
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — a list
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — bread
  13. fall — the season
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. lean — thin
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. fall — to drop
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. lean — to bend
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. snap — to click
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bowl — to roll

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