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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. clip — to cut
  3. key — for a lock
  4. kick — in football
  5. land — ground
  6. clip — for paper
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. tear — to rip
  10. mark — a trace
  11. charge — a price
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mark — a grade
  14. charge — electricity
  15. key — in music
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. clip — a video
  18. land — a country
  19. charge — in control
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. key — the most important part
  24. land — to come down

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