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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cell — in biology
  3. object — an aim
  4. bulb — for light
  5. suit — in cards
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. land — a country
  8. object — to protest
  9. land — ground
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. net — for catching
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cold — an illness
  15. suit — to fit
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. land — to come down
  19. cell — a phone
  20. net — after costs
  21. cold — not warm
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. object — a thing
  24. net — in sport

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