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: bowl · pitcher · land · bulb · tear · chest · stick · root

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. tear — from crying
  3. root — the cause
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. tear — to rip
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bulb — for light
  8. land — to come down
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. land — a country
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. root — of a word
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. root — of a plant
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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