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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. band — a ring
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. band — a music group
  14. wound — an injury
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. chip — for betting
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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