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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bank — of a river
  4. field — farmland
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — for sport
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. fork — in a road
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fork — a garden tool

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