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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kid — child
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. drill — army training
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bark — to shout
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. rest — a break
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. rest — what's left
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rest — what's left

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