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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chest — a box
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bulb — for light

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