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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bass — the fish
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mate — a partner
  8. court — for sport
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bound — certain
  14. bulb — for light
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mate — a friend
  17. court — of law
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bass — low music
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bound — obliged
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. court — of a king

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