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 · sharp · fan · content · last · prune · court · mark

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mark — a grade
  6. content — the amount
  7. bulb — for light
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. court — for sport
  11. last — final
  12. sharp — clever
  13. court — of law
  14. last — finally
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. court — of a king
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. last — to go on
  23. mark — a trace
  24. content — happy

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