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: lie · bulb · band · cell · land · season · cap · ball

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — a phone
  3. ball — a great time
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cap — a hat
  11. season — of the year
  12. land — to come down
  13. cap — a lid
  14. lie — to recline
  15. band — a ring
  16. land — a country
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cap — of ice
  21. band — a music group
  22. season — in sport
  23. bulb — for light
  24. land — ground

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