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 116 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wound — an injury
  11. lean — thin
  12. stem — to come from
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bulb — for light
  15. court — of a king
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. lean — to bend
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of law
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fall — the season
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. scale — in music

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