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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. band — a ring
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. firm — decided
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. lie — to recline
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. staff — employees
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bulb — for light
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — temperature
  15. firm — steady
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. firm — a company
  23. band — a music group
  24. degree — an amount

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