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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bulb — for light
  6. present — there
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. present — a gift
  13. bulb — for light
  14. dip — to sink
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. season — of the year
  17. rest — what's left
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. present — the time now
  21. rest — a break
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rest — what's left
  24. season — in sport

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