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: game · content · drill · prune · racket · stand · bulb · deal

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stand — to bear
  6. game — a match
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. content — the amount
  14. game — wild animals
  15. drill — army training
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. drill — a practice
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bulb — for light
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. deal — to handle
  24. stand — for spectators

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