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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. field — a subject
  4. bass — the fish
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. current — of water
  9. bulb — for light
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fork — in a road
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. squash — the sport
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bulb — for light
  20. field — farmland
  21. current — electric
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. field — for sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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