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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bulb — for light
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. root — of a word
  5. object — to protest
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. pound — a weight
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. object — a thing
  11. bulb — for light
  12. scale — size or range
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. craft — boats
  18. hand — help
  19. craft — a skill
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. object — an aim
  22. root — the cause
  23. cell — a phone
  24. root — of a plant

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