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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. race — a contest
  4. row — to paddle
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bulb — for light
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. race — the arms race
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — to cut
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. club — a group
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. club — for golf
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. race — humankind
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. clip — a video
  24. leaves — lets stay

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