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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pop — to visit
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mark — a trace
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bat — the animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pop — soda
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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