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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. rash — a series
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bulb — for light
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. capital — a city
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rule — government
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rash — hasty
  24. capital — money

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