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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. kick — in football
  2. bulb — for light
  3. season — in sport
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. season — of the year
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. scale — size or range
  16. swing — music
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. scale — in music
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — a phone
  23. fork — in a road
  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