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: fall · kid · roll · bulb · firm · game · object · branch

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. fall — to drop
  5. roll — a list
  6. object — to protest
  7. kid — child
  8. fall — to drop
  9. branch — a division
  10. roll — a cake
  11. game — a match
  12. object — an aim
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. fall — the season
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. firm — decided
  20. game — wild animals
  21. object — a thing
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — a company

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