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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bulb — for light
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. clip — to cut
  10. mark — a grade
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mark — a trace
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. fall — the season
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. fall — to drop
  19. clip — a video
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. clip — for paper
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. branch — of a tree

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