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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bulb — for light
  4. spell — letters
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ball — a dance
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. swing — music
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bulb — for light
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. net — for catching
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. net — after costs
  15. spell — magic
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. spell — a short time
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. ball — a great time
  21. net — in sport
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bulb — of a plant

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