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: calf · face · mark · pass · bulb · content · court · land

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. court — of a king
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mark — a trace
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. land — a country
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mark — a grade
  13. court — for sport
  14. land — to come down
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. face — to confront
  17. content — the amount
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. court — of law
  20. face — to point toward
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. content — happy
  23. pass — a permit
  24. land — ground

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