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: object · bound · date · bulb · temple · tear · hand · suit

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. suit — in cards
  4. tear — from crying
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bulb — for light
  7. suit — clothes
  8. hand — help
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. hand — in cards
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. suit — to fit
  18. tear — from crying
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. tear — to rip

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