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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cell — a phone
  4. court — for sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. net — for catching
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cell — in biology
  9. charge — a price
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. charge — in control
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. court — of law
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. net — in sport
  22. charge — electricity
  23. court — of a king
  24. net — after costs

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