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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. tube — the underground
  4. foot — a measure
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cold — an illness
  8. tube — a container
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. cold — not warm
  11. scale — size or range
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. game — a match
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bulb — for light
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. scale — in music
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — wild animals

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