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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. degree — an amount
  3. capital — a city
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bulb — for light
  10. degree — temperature
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. capital — money
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. chest — a box
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lie — to recline
  24. capital — a big letter

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