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 116 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. season — of the year
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. season — in sport
  10. saw — the tool
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rash — a series
  14. face — to point toward
  15. wind — moving air
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bulb — for light

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