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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bulb — for light
  3. drill — army training
  4. saw — the tool
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. drill — a practice
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. drill — the tool
  9. scale — in music
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. court — for sport
  15. scale — size or range
  16. kick — in football
  17. court — of a king
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. season — of the year
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. saw — the tool
  24. season — in sport

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