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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. current — happening now
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. current — of water
  8. bat — the animal
  9. rule — a law
  10. squash — to crush
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bulb — for light
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rule — government
  18. kid — child
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tube — the underground
  21. current — electric
  22. squash — the sport
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bat — in an idiom

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