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: spring · key · charge · nail · chair · cell · bulb · row

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. row — a line
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. charge — a price
  9. key — the most important part
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. charge — in control
  16. row — to paddle
  17. spring — of water
  18. key — in music
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bulb — for light
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spring — the season
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. chair — to sit on

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