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: current · cabinet · spring · dip · bulb · pit · prune · march

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. spring — of water
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pit — a hole
  8. current — electric
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. spring — the season
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. current — happening now
  17. march — the month
  18. dip — to sink
  19. prune — to trim
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pit — in a race
  22. march — the month
  23. current — of water
  24. march — music

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