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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. club — for dancing
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. club — for golf
  6. tear — from crying
  7. scale — size or range
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rock — a stone
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rock — music
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. lean — thin
  19. bat — the animal
  20. club — a group
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. sharp — clever
  23. scale — in music
  24. bulb — for light

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