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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bat — the animal
  4. swing — in golf
  5. clip — to cut
  6. mug — a face
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. mate — to breed
  12. season — of the year
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. mug — to rob
  17. season — in sport
  18. mate — a friend
  19. clip — a video
  20. swing — music
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. clip — for paper

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