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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mate — a partner
  3. spell — letters
  4. cold — not warm
  5. scale — in music
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. suit — in cards
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mate — to breed
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. key — in music
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mate — a friend
  15. spell — magic
  16. suit — to fit
  17. key — the most important part
  18. suit — clothes
  19. key — for a lock
  20. scale — size or range
  21. cold — an illness
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bulb — for light

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