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 116 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bulb — for light
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cell — a phone
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wind — moving air
  8. row — a line
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cell — in biology
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. cap — a hat

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