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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wake — a trail
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bulb — for light
  13. toast — bread
  14. fall — the season
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. row — a line
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fall — to drop
  24. straw — dry grass

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