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: bulb · patient · tear · present · court · pop · cabinet · tube

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. court — of a king
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pop — to visit
  5. tear — to rip
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. tube — a container
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. present — there
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pop — music
  13. tube — the underground
  14. present — a gift
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. pop — soda
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. present — the time now
  23. tear — from crying
  24. patient — a sick person

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