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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. staff — employees
  4. bulb — for light
  5. tube — a container
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. ball — a great time
  9. lie — to recline
  10. tube — the underground
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. field — a subject
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. staff — employees
  15. capital — a city
  16. field — for sport
  17. capital — money
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ball — a dance
  22. field — farmland
  23. bulb — for light
  24. staff — a stick

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