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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. net — for catching
  14. season — of the year
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. vault — a safe
  18. season — in sport
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bulb — for light
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. fine — all right
  24. bowl — a football final

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