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: squash · band · lie · spell · patient · bulb · bore · mate

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bore — to tire
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. mate — to breed
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. mate — a friend
  10. squash — to crush
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. squash — the sport
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bulb — for light
  18. band — a ring
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bore — to drill
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. band — a music group
  24. spell — magic

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