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: rock · march · bulb · ground · land · present · spell · nail

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. spell — magic
  3. march — the month
  4. bulb — for light
  5. land — ground
  6. land — a country
  7. march — music
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. ground — crushed
  11. spell — a short time
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — the time now
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. spell — letters
  17. march — the month
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. present — there
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rock — music
  22. ground — a position
  23. rock — a stone
  24. ground — the earth

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