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: lean · chest · arm · dip · roll · charge · tube · bulb

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. tube — the underground
  3. roll — a list
  4. lean — thin
  5. tube — a container
  6. charge — in control
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bulb — for light
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. chest — a box
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chest — of your body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. roll — a cake
  18. lean — to bend
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. charge — a price
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bulb — of a plant

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