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 116 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. degree — from a university
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bear — the animal
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bulb — for light
  11. capital — a city
  12. snap — to click
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. capital — money
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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