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: bulb · prune · jam · land · stand · saw · swing · temple

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. land — a country
  7. swing — music
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. swing — to play on
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. land — ground
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bulb — for light
  24. jam — a tight spot

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