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: club · squash · fan · content · board · nail · spring · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. club — a group
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. content — happy
  7. club — for golf
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. board — a committee
  10. spring — the season
  11. squash — the sport
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. squash — to crush
  14. club — for dancing
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. spring — of water
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. board — to get on
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. content — the amount
  23. bulb — for light
  24. content — videos and posts

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