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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stock — shares
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bark — to shout
  8. stock — goods
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wound — an injury
  11. swing — in golf
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bulb — for light
  24. swing — music

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