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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · bear · game · bulb · pop · root

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bulb — for light
  3. root — of a word
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pop — soda
  6. bear — the animal
  7. root — the cause
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mate — a partner
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pop — music

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