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: date · content · spell · bore · lie · sharp · bulb · arm

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. content — the amount
  3. spell — letters
  4. sharp — clever
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. date — the fruit
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lie — to recline
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. content — happy
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. sharp — exactly

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