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 120 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. capital — money
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cap — of ice
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. field — farmland
  9. fall — the season
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. fall — to drop
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. kick — in football
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bulb — for light
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — for sport
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. capital — a city
  22. fall — to drop
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. season — of the year

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