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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. object — an aim
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bulb — for light
  10. shower — rain
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. shower — to wash
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. kid — child
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. object — a thing
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. wax — to grow
  22. swing — music
  23. object — to protest
  24. wax — in the ear

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