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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cell — in biology
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. kid — to tease
  9. can — a tin
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. object — an aim
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — a phone
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. can — a tin
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — to protest
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bulb — for light
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — a tight spot

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