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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. saw — the tool
  3. court — of law
  4. saw — the tool
  5. court — of a king
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bark — to shout
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. spring — the season
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spring — of water
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. court — for sport

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