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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chair — a leader
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. root — of a plant
  5. drill — the tool
  6. root — of a word
  7. stand — to bear
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. content — the amount
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. drill — army training
  17. clip — a video
  18. root — the cause
  19. content — happy
  20. clip — to cut
  21. fine — all right
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. clip — for paper
  24. drill — a practice

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