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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hand — help
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. hand — in cards
  12. cold — not warm
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. present — the time now
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cell — a phone

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