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 a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bulb — for light
  5. degree — temperature
  6. rash — a series
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. kid — child
  10. rash — hasty
  11. degree — from a university
  12. kid — to tease
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cold — not warm
  16. mate — a friend
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. mate — a partner
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. degree — an amount
  24. rash — on the skin

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