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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. mug — to rob
  3. field — farmland
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. pit — in a race
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. field — a subject
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. file — a tool
  15. cue — for pool
  16. root — of a word
  17. pop — soda
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mug — a face
  20. pit — a hole
  21. file — a document
  22. mug — a cup
  23. field — for sport
  24. pop — music

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