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

Word bank: stick · present · wind · fall · bulb · staff

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fall — to drop
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. present — there
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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