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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lean — to bend
  6. face — part of the head
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rash — a series
  9. face — to confront
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. face — to point toward
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. kick — in football
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. lean — thin
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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