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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. board — to get on
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bass — low music
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. board — a committee
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rule — a law
  19. bass — the fish
  20. wound — an injury
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rule — government
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. tear — to rip

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