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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. last — to go on
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. court — of law
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. last — finally
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fork — in a road
  10. ground — the earth
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. ground — a position
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. ground — crushed
  17. court — of a king
  18. last — final
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. court — for sport
  24. bulb — for light

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