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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. capital — money
  5. file — a document
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mate — to breed
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. file — a tool
  13. mate — a partner
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. capital — a city
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mate — a friend
  21. swing — in golf
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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