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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. season — of the year
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. capital — money
  9. bulb — for light
  10. last — final
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. drill — the tool
  13. prune — to trim
  14. last — finally
  15. drill — a practice
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. capital — a city
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. last — to go on
  21. season — in sport
  22. drill — army training
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bank — for money

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