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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. face — to confront
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — the animal
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lean — thin
  19. wound — an injury
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — from a university
  24. lean — to rest against

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