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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pit — in a race
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. court — of a king
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pitch — completely
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. tube — a container
  16. court — of law
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wind — moving air
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pit — a hole
  24. court — for sport

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