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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pop — music
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pop — to visit
  5. land — a country
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. land — ground
  8. charge — in control
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ground — the earth
  15. pop — soda
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wind — moving air
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ground — a position
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. land — to come down

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