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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. cue — a signal
  7. sharp — clever
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. scale — size or range
  12. mine — for digging
  13. cue — for pool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. cue — a hint
  24. scale — in music

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