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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. net — for catching
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pop — music
  6. degree — from a university
  7. net — after costs
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bulb — for light
  10. capital — money
  11. degree — temperature
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. pop — to visit
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. net — in sport
  18. capital — a city
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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