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: present · mark · field · charge · ruler · bulb · roll · stick

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. charge — a price
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. present — a gift
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a cake
  12. field — for sport
  13. present — there
  14. bulb — for light
  15. field — farmland
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. charge — in control
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. present — the time now

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