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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. present — there
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. clip — a video
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cold — not warm
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bulb — for light
  14. clip — for paper
  15. present — the time now
  16. bulb — for light
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. face — to confront
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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