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 116 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. object — an aim
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spell — letters
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. object — a thing
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cell — in biology
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. cell — a phone
  19. spell — magic
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. object — to protest
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. dip — to sink

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