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: spell · bulb · pitcher · bank · rest · fine · cell · track

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. track — a path
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bank — of a river
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bank — for money
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bank — for money
  20. rest — a break
  21. track — a song
  22. spell — magic
  23. cell — in biology
  24. rest — what's left

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