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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. chip — to eat
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. scale — in music
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. drill — a practice
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wake — a trail
  16. drill — army training
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bulb — of a plant

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