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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. current — happening now
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. current — electric
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bulb — for light
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bat — the animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. current — of water
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. sharp — clever
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bat — in an idiom

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