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: field · present · bulb · can · saw · scale · root · net

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. scale — in music
  4. net — in sport
  5. present — the time now
  6. bulb — for light
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. saw — the tool
  10. present — there
  11. saw — the tool
  12. can — a tin
  13. field — a subject
  14. net — for catching
  15. can — a tin
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bulb — for light
  18. scale — size or range
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. net — after costs
  22. present — a gift
  23. root — of a word
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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