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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mate — to breed
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — a signal
  9. kid — to tease
  10. swing — music
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. swing — in golf
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. kid — child
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mate — a friend
  22. rash — a series
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. wound — an injury

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