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 120 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: season · bulb · field · cap · rest · cell · arm · mug

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rest — a break
  3. field — for sport
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cap — a lid
  7. field — farmland
  8. rest — what's left
  9. season — of the year
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mug — a face
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mug — a cup
  15. season — in sport
  16. cell — in biology
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mug — to rob
  19. field — a subject
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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