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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. content — the amount
  3. file — a tool
  4. content — happy
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bulb — for light
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bound — certain
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bound — tied together
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. spell — magic
  20. file — a document
  21. spell — letters
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. spell — a short time
  24. nail — on a finger

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