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 116 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mug — a cup
  9. fall — to drop
  10. spring — the season
  11. last — to go on
  12. ball — a great time
  13. spring — of water
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bank — for money
  16. last — finally
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fall — the season
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bank — of a river
  21. last — final
  22. bank — for money
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bulb — of a plant

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