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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. shower — to wash
  3. row — a line
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. roll — a list
  7. row — to paddle
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. sharp — clever
  13. roll — a cake
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stand — to bear
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. shower — rain
  19. deal — to handle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bulb — for light

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