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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bulb — for light
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pitch — completely
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pit — a hole
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rest — a break
  15. game — wild animals
  16. shower — rain
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. game — a match
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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