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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bulb — for light
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. sharp — clever
  8. season — of the year
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bank — for money
  13. season — in sport
  14. wind — moving air
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bark — of a tree

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