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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. net — in sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fall — to drop
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fall — the season
  8. net — after costs
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. court — for sport
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. game — a match
  13. vault — a safe
  14. court — of law
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fall — to drop
  18. net — for catching
  19. court — of a king
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bear — the animal

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