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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. present — the time now
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. roll — a list
  6. mate — a partner
  7. net — after costs
  8. present — a gift
  9. capital — money
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bulb — for light
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. net — for catching
  15. roll — a cake
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. charge — electricity
  18. net — in sport
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mate — to breed
  21. present — there
  22. capital — a city
  23. bulb — for light
  24. roll — on a roll

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