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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wind — moving air
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bulb — for light
  20. band — a music group
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bat — the animal

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