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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bear — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mine — for digging
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. degree — from a university
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. racket — a loud noise

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