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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mate — a friend
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rule — government
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cap — a lid
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. mate — a partner
  24. fine — all right

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