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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pop — soda
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bank — for money
  7. fine — all right
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pop — music
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. band — a ring
  19. bulb — for light
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. band — a music group
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bank — of a river

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