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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. tear — to rip
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pit — in a race
  10. track — to keep track
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cue — a hint
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. track — a path
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cue — a signal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wind — moving air

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