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: bulb · lie · current · spell · mine · bound · ground · saw

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. current — of water
  3. mine — for digging
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. spell — magic
  6. ground — a position
  7. bound — tied together
  8. spell — letters
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lie — to recline
  12. current — electric
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bound — certain
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. current — happening now
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bound — obliged
  23. ground — crushed
  24. spell — a short time

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