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 116 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: rash · bulb · track · rock · clip · pound · scale · suit

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. clip — to cut
  3. track — to keep track
  4. scale — in music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rock — a stone
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. clip — for paper
  11. track — a song
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. track — a path
  15. clip — a video
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rash — hasty
  20. suit — in cards
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. rash — a series

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