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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. last — final
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. last — to go on
  9. stand — to bear
  10. march — music
  11. last — finally
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. ball — a dance
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. march — the month
  19. tear — to rip
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. net — for catching
  22. ball — a great time
  23. tear — from crying
  24. march — the month

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