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: mate · bank · kid · bulb · stem · arm · land · bowl

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. land — to come down
  9. mate — a friend
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. kid — child
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. land — ground
  15. mate — a partner
  16. land — a country
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bank — for money
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bank — for money
  24. stem — a stem cell

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