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: lie · wound · cell · mark · fall · bulb · current · mine

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fall — to drop
  5. current — happening now
  6. cell — a phone
  7. current — of water
  8. fall — the season
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wound — an injury
  12. current — electric
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. cell — in biology
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cell — in a prison

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