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: rash · bulb · spring · craft · wound · ground · cap · content

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cap — a lid
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. content — the amount
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ground — a position
  15. cap — of ice
  16. wound — an injury
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. content — happy
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rash — a series
  23. craft — boats
  24. cap — a hat

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