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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. bulb — for light
  3. club — a group
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. club — for dancing
  6. drill — the tool
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. land — to come down
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. drill — army training
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. club — for golf
  13. content — the amount
  14. land — a country
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. bulb — for light
  18. can — a tin
  19. drill — a practice
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. land — ground
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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