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: saw · mark · chip · bulb · press · wind · rash · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. row — a quarrel
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. chip — to eat
  6. press — newspapers
  7. row — to paddle
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. press — to push
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mark — a grade
  20. row — a line
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wind — moving air
  23. saw — the tool
  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