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: bulb · rule · coach · last · bowl · pitcher · cabinet · root

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rule — government
  5. root — the cause
  6. last — to go on
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. last — final
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bulb — for light
  16. root — of a plant
  17. last — finally
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. root — of a word
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rule — a law
  24. bowl — to roll

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