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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. degree — an amount
  5. rule — a law
  6. degree — from a university
  7. saw — the tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. field — farmland
  10. rule — government
  11. swing — to play on
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. swing — music
  14. field — for sport
  15. degree — temperature
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bulb — for light
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. field — a subject
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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