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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mug — a face
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. game — wild animals
  8. tear — from crying
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bulb — for light
  13. game — a match
  14. mug — to rob
  15. last — finally
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mug — a cup
  18. last — final
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. last — to go on
  22. bulb — for light
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. plane — a tool

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