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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bulb — for light
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bat — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bass — the fish
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bass — low music
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. land — ground
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. land — a country
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. deal — a big deal

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