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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bulb — for light
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. last — final
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. snap — to click
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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