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 116 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. mine — for digging
  3. charge — a price
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. kick — in football
  7. bulb — for light
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. face — to confront
  12. capital — money
  13. pop — to visit
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. face — to point toward
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. capital — a city
  19. charge — in control
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bulb — for light
  22. charge — electricity
  23. face — part of the head
  24. deal — a big deal

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