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 120 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: bat · fine · rock · bulb · leaves · spell · rule · kid

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. spell — magic
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. kid — child
  10. rule — government
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rock — a stone
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bat — the animal
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rule — a law
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. fine — all right
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spell — letters
  24. fine — a penalty

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