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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. field — farmland
  4. prune — to trim
  5. track — a song
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cue — for pool
  8. prune — to trim
  9. track — a path
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. field — for sport
  12. bulb — for light
  13. track — to keep track
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. cue — a hint
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. cue — a signal
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. field — a subject
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. net — after costs

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