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: row · suit · wake · bore · bulb · spring · land · kid

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. kid — child
  3. bulb — for light
  4. row — a line
  5. bore — to tire
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. land — a country
  9. suit — in cards
  10. row — to paddle
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bore — to drill
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. kid — to tease
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spring — of water
  19. land — to come down
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. land — ground
  23. wake — a trail
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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