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: cell · pass · bulb · ground · present · fall · straw · bear

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. ground — the earth
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fall — the season
  7. present — the time now
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. ground — a position
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fall — to drop
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. present — a gift
  14. fall — to drop
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pass — a permit
  20. ground — crushed
  21. present — there
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in biology

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