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

Word bank: season · bulb · degree · bay · wind · current

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. degree — from a university
  4. current — of water
  5. season — of the year
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. degree — an amount
  12. season — in sport
  13. current — electric
  14. bulb — for light
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. current — happening now
  18. wind — moving air

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