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: cold · stick · board · field · dip · bay · pit · bulb

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. pit — in a race
  7. board — to get on
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. board — a committee
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. field — a subject
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bulb — for light
  16. field — for sport
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. cold — an illness
  20. field — farmland
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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