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 water is too ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. rash — a series
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. tube — a container
  8. staff — a stick
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. staff — employees
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fine — high quality
  17. staff — employees
  18. rash — hasty
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cold — an illness
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. fine — all right
  24. trunk — of a car

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