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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. court — of a king
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bore — to tire
  9. court — for sport
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bore — to drill
  14. court — of law
  15. saw — the tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. saw — the tool
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. prune — the fruit

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