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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. clip — for paper
  3. key — the most important part
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. key — for a lock
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — to cut
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. file — a document
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. key — in music
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. file — a tool
  21. pitch — completely
  22. file — a line of people
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pitch — a sports field

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