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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. land — a country
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. rash — a series
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. root — of a word
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. chip — for betting
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rash — hasty
  21. land — to come down
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. land — ground

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