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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cold — an illness
  3. object — to protest
  4. bulb — for light
  5. drill — the tool
  6. object — a thing
  7. bulb — for light
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. suit — to fit
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. object — an aim
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. drill — army training
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cold — not warm
  18. perch — the fish
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. suit — clothes
  21. drill — a practice
  22. snap — to click
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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