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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wound — an injury
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mate — a partner
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bulb — for light
  10. scale — in music
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a friend
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. tear — to rip
  22. content — the amount
  23. scale — size or range
  24. content — happy

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