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: degree · roll · rush · spring · lie · bulb · mate · mug

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mate — a partner
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mug — a face
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mate — a friend
  8. degree — from a university
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mug — a cup
  11. spring — the season
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rush — hurry
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. roll — a list
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. spring — of water
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. lie — to recline
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. roll — a cake

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