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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. shower — to wash
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. key — for a lock
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. net — for catching
  10. snap — to click
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. key — in music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. foot — a measure
  15. fork — in a road
  16. net — after costs
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. net — in sport
  21. mine — for digging
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. shower — rain

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