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: game · cell · lash · tear · bulb · spell · fall · can

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cell — in biology
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. tear — from crying
  10. spell — letters
  11. bulb — for light
  12. can — to be able to
  13. game — wild animals
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. fall — the season
  18. can — a tin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. can — a tin
  21. game — a match
  22. spell — magic
  23. cell — a phone
  24. lash — an eyelash

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