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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bore — to drill
  6. current — electric
  7. bound — certain
  8. bat — the animal
  9. content — happy
  10. pitch — completely
  11. season — of the year
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. season — in sport
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bulb — for light
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bulb — for light
  24. content — the amount

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