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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. last — finally
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bulb — for light
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bulb — for light
  8. net — after costs
  9. last — to go on
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ground — the earth
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ground — crushed
  19. last — final
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. ground — a position
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rush — to hurry

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