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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. field — for sport
  3. rash — a series
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. drill — the tool
  8. current — happening now
  9. drill — army training
  10. bulb — for light
  11. field — a subject
  12. current — of water
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. drill — a practice
  18. swing — to play on
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. swing — music
  21. rash — hasty
  22. current — electric
  23. degree — temperature
  24. field — farmland

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