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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bulb — for light
  6. key — in music
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bark — to shout
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. toast — bread
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. rest — a break
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bat — the animal
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rest — what's left
  22. drill — army training
  23. sharp — clever
  24. toast — the most admired

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