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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bulb — for light
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. tear — from crying
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bark — to shout
  13. degree — an amount
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. row — a line
  19. tear — to rip
  20. fine — high quality
  21. row — to paddle
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. fine — all right

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