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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pop — soda
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. current — electric
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. current — of water
  9. bore — to drill
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cold — an illness
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bore — to tire
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. current — happening now
  21. pop — music
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bore — gave birth

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