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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. season — in sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bulb — for light
  6. key — in music
  7. season — of the year
  8. game — wild animals
  9. rash — a series
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. rash — hasty
  12. foot — a measure
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. key — for a lock
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. game — a match

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