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 · file · pit · calf · spring · mate · row · rule

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rule — a law
  3. row — to paddle
  4. mate — a friend
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. file — a document
  8. spring — a coil
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rule — government
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. file — a tool
  15. spring — of water
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spring — the season
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mate — to breed
  20. row — a line
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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