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 120 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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rash — hasty
  5. club — for dancing
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. season — of the year
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. season — in sport
  12. hand — help
  13. content — the amount
  14. bulb — for light
  15. content — happy
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rash — a series
  24. lie — to recline

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