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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. track — a path
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bulb — for light
  10. drill — army training
  11. cell — in biology
  12. roll — a cake
  13. lie — to recline
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. drill — the tool
  17. track — to keep track
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. track — a song
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. fall — the season

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