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: rash · band · lie · bulb · file · cell · ground · spell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. spell — letters
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. spell — a short time
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. rash — a series
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lie — to recline
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rash — hasty
  17. band — a ring
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spell — magic
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. band — a music group
  22. file — a document
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rash — on the skin

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