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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. fall — the season
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bulb — for light
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pop — soda
  7. field — farmland
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. field — for sport
  10. fall — to drop
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. squash — to crush
  14. net — in sport
  15. cell — in biology
  16. field — a subject
  17. net — for catching
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pop — music
  20. net — after costs
  21. bulb — for light
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bulb — of a plant

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