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 · bulb · roll · court · foot · lie · jam · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. degree — from a university
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bulb — for light
  6. degree — an amount
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. degree — temperature
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. court — for sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bulb — for light
  13. roll — a list
  14. cell — in biology
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. court — of a king
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. roll — a cake
  22. court — of law
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bulb — of a plant

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