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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. mug — to rob
  3. charge — in control
  4. bulb — for light
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. season — in sport
  10. mug — a face
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. charge — a price
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. stem — to come from
  17. roll — a list
  18. charge — electricity
  19. roll — a cake
  20. pound — a weight
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. stem — a stem cell

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