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: game · bear · bat · wound · pitcher · root · pitch · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. game — a match
  9. root — the cause
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. root — of a word
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wound — an injury
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pitcher — a jug

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