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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. game — a match
  5. staff — employees
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bass — low music
  8. staff — employees
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bank — of a river
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bank — for money
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bank — for money
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chest — a box
  22. fork — in a road
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bulb — for light

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