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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bulb — for light
  6. face — to point toward
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. face — part of the head
  9. kick — in football
  10. spring — the season
  11. shower — rain
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bulb — for light
  15. spring — a coil
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. shower — to wash
  18. row — a line
  19. face — to confront
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. spring — of water

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