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: last · mine · arm · chip · kid · key · bulb · bear

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. last — final
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. last — finally
  10. kid — child
  11. chip — to eat
  12. last — to go on
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bulb — for light
  16. key — in music
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mine — for digging

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