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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  2. current — of water
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bulb — for light
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. clip — for paper
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. prune — to trim
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. current — happening now
  14. bulb — for light
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bass — the fish
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. clip — a video
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bass — low music
  22. clip — to cut
  23. current — electric
  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