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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. net — after costs
  4. ball — a great time
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. spell — magic
  8. ball — a dance
  9. net — in sport
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. net — for catching
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. spell — letters
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wake — a trail
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. hide — animal skin

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