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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. spell — magic
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cell — a phone
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. march — the month
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. cap — of ice
  20. tube — a container
  21. cap — a hat
  22. pound — a weight
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bulb — for light

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