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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cap — of ice
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cap — a hat
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pass — a permit
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — a list
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. drill — the tool
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bulb — for light
  19. sharp — clever
  20. degree — temperature
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bulb — for light
  24. sharp — with an edge

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