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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · rest · pop · wake · bulb · coach · scale · last

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wake — a trail
  6. last — to go on
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pop — soda
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rest — what's left
  20. last — finally
  21. pit — in a race
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. last — final
  24. coach — a trainer

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