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: lean · temple · staff · bulb · last · fan · net · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. staff — employees
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lean — thin
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. net — after costs
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lean — to bend
  10. staff — a stick
  11. net — in sport
  12. last — finally
  13. staff — employees
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. last — final
  17. season — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bulb — for light
  22. last — to go on
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. season — to add flavour

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