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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. capital — a city
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. chip — to eat
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. cell — a phone
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. dip — to sink
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pitch — completely
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cell — in biology
  23. capital — money
  24. perch — the fish

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