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: can · stand · last · fall · staff · bulb · spring · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. can — a tin
  3. game — wild animals
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bulb — for light
  6. staff — employees
  7. last — to go on
  8. fall — the season
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. staff — employees
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. fall — to drop
  13. last — final
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. last — finally
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. spring — of water
  20. staff — a stick
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bulb — for light
  24. can — a tin

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