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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. season — in sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. race — humankind
  5. face — to point toward
  6. race — a contest
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. net — in sport
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. face — to confront
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. season — of the year
  17. race — the arms race
  18. net — for catching
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. net — after costs
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bulb — for light

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