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: game · lash · cap · can · bulb · content · swing · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cap — a hat
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pop — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. can — a tin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pop — to visit
  10. content — happy
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cap — a lid
  13. swing — in golf
  14. can — a tin
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cap — of ice
  17. swing — music
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. game — wild animals
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. game — a match
  24. content — the amount

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