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: roll · bulb · cabinet · hide · present · last · pound · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. last — finally
  12. court — of a king
  13. present — a gift
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. last — final
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bulb — for light
  18. court — of law
  19. present — there
  20. pound — a weight
  21. last — to go on
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. present — the time now
  24. roll — a list

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