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 · season · bore · land · wave · dip · tear · coach

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. tear — from crying
  3. land — ground
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. land — to come down
  6. season — in sport
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bore — to tire
  20. tear — from crying
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. land — a country

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