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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. wound — an injury
  3. net — after costs
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wound — an injury
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. net — for catching
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. net — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. bulb — for light
  18. present — the time now
  19. plane — a tool
  20. season — in sport
  21. charge — in control
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. present — a gift

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