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 124 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. file — a tool
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. face — part of the head
  5. game — a match
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stem — to come from
  8. face — to confront
  9. bulb — for light
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bulb — for light
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. face — to point toward
  19. file — a document
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. file — a line of people

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