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: cold · hand · wave · mug · bulb · suit · wind · date

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cold — not warm
  16. suit — in cards
  17. cold — an illness
  18. mug — a face
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. hand — help
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mug — to rob

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