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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. season — in sport
  4. court — of law
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. court — of a king
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bulb — for light
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. court — for sport
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. mine — for digging
  18. lean — thin
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cell — in biology
  21. lean — to bend
  22. season — of the year
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. racket — for tennis

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