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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rock — music
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. tube — a container
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. tube — the underground
  8. field — farmland
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. mug — a cup
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mug — to rob
  15. field — a subject
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. mug — a face
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. field — for sport
  24. fork — in a road

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