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 120 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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. wind — moving air
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fall — the season
  5. bulb — for light
  6. club — for golf
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bulb — for light
  9. club — for dancing
  10. fall — to drop
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ball — a dance
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. lie — to recline
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. ball — a great time

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