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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bulb — for light
  3. band — a music group
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bulb — for light
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rush — hurry
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wake — a trail
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. game — a match
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. band — a ring

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