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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mark — a grade
  3. face — part of the head
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bulb — for light
  10. swing — in golf
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. march — the month
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bound — certain
  15. spell — magic
  16. bound — tied together
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. swing — music
  19. bound — obliged
  20. march — the month
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mark — a trace
  23. march — music
  24. face — to confront

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