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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rash — a series
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mark — a trace
  8. rash — hasty
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. land — a country
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. land — to come down
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. dip — to sink
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bulb — for light
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. content — the amount

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