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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · date · mouse · pitch · swing · wake

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. date — the fruit
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bulb — for light
  11. swing — in golf
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wake — a trail

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