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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spring — the season
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. clip — a video
  5. deal — to handle
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. ground — crushed
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. ground — a position
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. present — a gift
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bore — to tire
  21. spring — of water
  22. bulb — for light
  23. clip — to cut
  24. spring — a coil

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