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: wake · chip · drill · bulb · spell · pop · pitch · game

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. drill — army training
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pop — music
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wake — a trail
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. spell — letters
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. chip — to eat
  17. game — a match
  18. game — wild animals
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pitch — completely
  21. spell — magic
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bulb — of a plant

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