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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mug — a face
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fall — the season
  10. spell — letters
  11. mug — a cup
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. mug — to rob
  14. spell — a short time
  15. lean — thin
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fall — to drop
  22. spell — magic
  23. pop — soda
  24. lie — to recline

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