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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hand — help
  3. file — a line of people
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. drill — army training
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wake — a trail
  8. hand — in cards
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. root — of a word
  11. file — a tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. root — the cause
  15. file — a document
  16. bulb — for light
  17. drill — a practice
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. court — of law
  21. court — of a king
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. drill — the tool
  24. court — for sport

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