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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pit — in a race
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cold — not warm
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. mate — a partner
  9. land — a country
  10. band — a music group
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. band — a ring
  15. pit — a hole
  16. lie — to recline
  17. mate — to breed
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. land — ground
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. land — to come down

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