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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. rash — a series
  3. capital — a city
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mate — a friend
  8. current — electric
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. current — of water
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. current — happening now
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bulb — for light
  24. capital — money

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