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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. lean — thin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. season — of the year
  10. current — electric
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. current — of water
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. lean — to bend
  17. current — happening now
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bat — the animal
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cell — a phone
  23. season — in sport
  24. cell — in biology

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