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: mug · file · straw · net · mark · row · pound · bulb

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. net — after costs
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. net — in sport
  10. mug — a cup
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pound — a weight
  13. row — a line
  14. file — a line of people
  15. mug — a face
  16. file — a tool
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. row — to paddle
  20. file — a document
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. net — for catching
  24. straw — dry grass

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