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: saw · season · rash · tear · pop · nail · bulb · date

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. season — of the year
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. date — the fruit
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rash — a series
  15. pop — music
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. tear — to rip
  19. saw — the tool
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bulb — for light
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. tear — from crying

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