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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. row — a line
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. squash — to crush
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. charge — in control
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. row — to paddle
  23. charge — a price
  24. cell — in biology

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