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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bulb — for light
  3. staff — employees
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. game — a match
  8. face — part of the head
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. face — to point toward
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. charge — a price
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stock — goods
  15. staff — employees
  16. stem — to come from
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. face — to confront
  20. ball — a dance
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. ball — a great time

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