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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — finally
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. clip — for paper
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bulb — for light
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — a video
  16. bulb — for light
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. last — final
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. calf — a young 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