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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. current — happening now
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wind — moving air
  5. current — electric
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. firm — a company
  11. current — of water
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wind — moving air
  19. firm — steady
  20. cold — an illness
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. firm — decided
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cold — not warm

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