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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. land — to come down
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. drill — army training
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bulb — for light
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bulb — for light
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. land — ground
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. land — a country
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. coach — a trainer

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