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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. object — an aim
  4. rash — a series
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bulb — for light
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. deal — to handle
  13. object — a thing
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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