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 · suit · mine · spell · rest · pitcher · bore · bay

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bulb — for light
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rest — a break
  7. bore — to tire
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. spell — letters
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mine — an explosive

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