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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. spring — the season
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bat — the animal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. spring — of water
  14. bulb — for light
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. tear — to rip
  20. mark — a grade
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. spring — a coil

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