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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. cold — an illness
  5. rash — a series
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. scale — in music
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. saw — the tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bulb — for light
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cold — not warm
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. scale — size or range
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bowl — a football final

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