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: chest · tube · game · track · chair · current · bulb · degree

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. tube — a container
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. track — a song
  5. bulb — for light
  6. degree — temperature
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. game — wild animals
  12. chair — a leader
  13. current — electric
  14. degree — an amount
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. game — a match
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. chest — a box
  23. degree — from a university
  24. chest — of your body

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