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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rule — government
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bulb — for light
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. rule — a law
  8. bass — low music
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. race — humankind
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. race — a contest
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. roll — a list
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bass — the fish
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. suit — to fit
  23. race — the arms race
  24. leaves — of a tree

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