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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chair — a leader
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bass — low music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. scale — in music
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pit — in a race
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. spring — the season
  20. field — for sport
  21. pit — a hole
  22. spring — of water
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bass — the fish

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