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: bay · temple · bulb · net · wound · cap · spring · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wound — an injury
  5. net — after costs
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. spring — a coil
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bulb — for light
  14. spring — the season
  15. net — for catching
  16. spring — of water
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wound — an injury
  22. net — in sport
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. cap — a lid

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