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: bulb · field · mate · wake · bowl · pop · chair · tube

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. tube — a container
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. pop — soda
  11. mate — a friend
  12. field — farmland
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. field — a subject
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pop — to visit
  21. field — for sport
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pop — music

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