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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. band — a music group
  13. shower — rain
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. fine — high quality
  18. shower — to wash
  19. band — a ring
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fine — all right
  22. kid — to tease
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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