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 116 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 · face · cap · object · court · branch · rush · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. face — to point toward
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. object — to protest
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cap — of ice
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. court — of a king
  11. rush — hurry
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. court — of law
  16. branch — a division
  17. court — for sport
  18. bulb — for light
  19. face — part of the head
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. face — to confront
  23. cap — a lid
  24. branch — of a tree

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