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: field · mark · saw · rest · bulb · march · current · shower

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rest — what's left
  3. field — a subject
  4. march — music
  5. current — of water
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. shower — rain
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. field — farmland
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mark — a grade
  14. shower — to wash
  15. mark — a trace
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. march — the month
  18. current — happening now
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. current — electric
  23. rest — a break
  24. field — for sport

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