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

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. season — in sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. season — of the year
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bulb — for light
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container

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