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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bulb — for light
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mate — a partner
  10. chair — a leader
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. stock — goods
  15. lean — thin
  16. mate — to breed
  17. game — a match
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cold — not warm
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. lean — to bend
  24. stock — shares

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