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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. foot — a measure
  6. key — for a lock
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. tear — from crying
  12. key — in music
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. wind — moving air
  15. tear — to rip
  16. wind — moving air
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a city
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bulb — for light
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bulb — of a plant

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