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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fine — high quality
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. land — a country
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. fine — all right
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fall — to drop
  24. squash — the 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