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 120 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: stand · mug · file · bowl · pitcher · bulb · wound · mine

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wound — an injury
  7. file — a document
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mug — a face
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. file — a tool
  24. mug — to rob

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