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

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. field — for sport
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bound — certain
  5. bulb — for light
  6. field — farmland
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. lean — to bend
  9. charge — electricity
  10. object — an aim
  11. current — electric
  12. field — a subject
  13. object — a thing
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. bound — obliged
  17. object — to protest
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. shower — to wash
  20. lean — thin
  21. shower — rain
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. bulb — for light

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