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: rest · cell · fork · bulb · hide · wave · fan · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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. bulb — of a plant
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. cell — a phone
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. rest — what's left
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fork — in a road
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. rest — a break
  24. bulb — for light

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