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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. content — the amount
  4. sharp — clever
  5. board — a committee
  6. chair — a leader
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. board — to get on
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pass — a permit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. content — happy
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pass — to succeed

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