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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bulb — for light
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — to protest
  7. spring — of water
  8. spell — a short time
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. spring — the season
  11. spell — letters
  12. hand — help
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. suit — clothes
  15. spell — magic
  16. suit — in cards
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. object — a thing
  19. content — happy
  20. content — the amount
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. suit — to fit
  24. spring — a coil

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