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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bound — tied together
  3. chest — a box
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fine — all right
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bound — obliged
  14. fine — high quality
  15. can — a tin
  16. bound — certain
  17. can — a tin
  18. foot — a measure
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. game — a match
  24. chest — of your body

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