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: object · bulb · season · cold · present · rule · plane · lie

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. present — there
  4. object — an aim
  5. cold — not warm
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. present — the time now
  8. rule — government
  9. season — in sport
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rule — a law
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cold — an illness
  14. lie — to recline
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bulb — for light
  18. object — a thing
  19. present — a gift
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. object — to protest
  23. plane — a tool
  24. rule — to rule out

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