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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bulb — for light
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wake — a trail
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pop — music
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pop — soda
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pop — to visit
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cap — a hat
  22. dip — to sink
  23. chair — a leader
  24. sharp — exactly

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