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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pop — music
  3. rule — government
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. spring — a coil
  7. suit — clothes
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rule — a law
  12. spring — of water
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pop — soda
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. spring — the season
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. tear — from crying

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