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: bulb · dip · field · fall · row · bore · spring · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. field — farmland
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bore — to tire
  9. spring — of water
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. bore — to drill
  13. fall — to drop
  14. field — for sport
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. wound — an injury
  19. dip — to sink
  20. field — a subject
  21. spring — the season
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bore — gave birth

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