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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mate — a friend
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. wind — moving air
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. kid — child
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mate — a partner

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