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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. scale — size or range
  6. lean — to bend
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — thin
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bore — to drill
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. squash — the sport
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. scale — in music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bore — to tire
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bore — gave birth

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