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 116 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: sharp · game · bulb · staff · bat · shower · current · hide

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. staff — employees
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bat — the animal
  9. shower — to wash
  10. current — of water
  11. game — a match
  12. shower — rain
  13. bulb — for light
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. staff — employees
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. current — happening now
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bulb — for light
  23. current — electric
  24. sharp — clever

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