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: date · wind · content · bulb · file · season · bear · coach

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. file — a line of people
  3. content — happy
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bear — the animal
  8. season — of the year
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. file — a document
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. season — in sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. content — the amount
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. file — a tool

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