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: bulb · ball · wind · pitch · race · bass · fan · foot

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. race — humankind
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bass — low music
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wind — moving air
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. race — a contest
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pitch — completely
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bass — the fish
  21. foot — a measure
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bulb — for light

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