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: cap · season · rash · file · pop · bulb · mine · mate

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mine — for digging
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pop — music
  5. season — in sport
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bulb — for light
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rash — a series
  10. mate — a friend
  11. season — of the year
  12. cap — a hat
  13. file — a tool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mate — a partner
  16. file — a document
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pop — soda
  23. cap — of ice
  24. mine — an explosive

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