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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. last — finally
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. band — a ring
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pit — a hole
  12. last — final
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pit — in a race
  15. last — to go on
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. kid — child
  21. date — the fruit
  22. band — a music group
  23. toast — bread
  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