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: fan · bulb · pound · board · mug · foot · track · pass

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mug — a face
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pound — a weight
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pass — a permit
  13. track — a song
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. track — a path
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mug — a cup
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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