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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. clip — to cut
  3. wake — a trail
  4. current — electric
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. club — for golf
  10. clip — a video
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. clip — for paper
  17. rest — what's left
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. current — happening now
  20. rest — a break
  21. current — of water
  22. club — a group
  23. bulb — for light
  24. deal — to handle

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