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 120 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cell — a phone
  4. face — part of the head
  5. court — of a king
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. court — for sport
  12. face — to point toward
  13. court — of law
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a line
  18. face — to confront
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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