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: lean · bulb · net · pit · spring · charge · file · present

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. present — there
  5. file — a tool
  6. net — in sport
  7. present — a gift
  8. file — a document
  9. spring — the season
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spring — of water
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lean — to bend
  15. file — a line of people
  16. pit — a hole
  17. present — the time now
  18. bulb — for light
  19. charge — in control
  20. lean — thin
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. spring — a coil
  24. pit — in a race

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