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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bulb — for light
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. shower — rain
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bark — to shout
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bulb — for light
  12. game — a match
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — thin
  15. tear — to rip
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bank — for money
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bank — for money

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