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 120 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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. object — to protest
  4. bulb — for light
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. object — a thing
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. current — of water
  15. object — an aim
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. current — happening now
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. current — electric
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bat — the animal
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bulb — of a plant

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