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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. pound — a weight
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bulb — for light
  10. band — a ring
  11. foot — a measure
  12. kid — child
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bulb — for light
  24. band — a music group

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