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 120 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. march — music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. club — for golf
  10. bulb — for light
  11. march — the month
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. board — to get on
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. board — a committee
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. club — for dancing
  20. lie — to recline
  21. march — the month
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. club — a group
  24. arm — part of the body

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