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: fan · bulb · pit · degree · lean · face · current · rest

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. degree — an amount
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rest — a break
  6. lean — thin
  7. pit — in a race
  8. degree — temperature
  9. face — part of the head
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pit — a hole
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. current — happening now
  15. rest — what's left
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — to confront
  18. lean — to bend
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bulb — for light
  21. current — electric
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. current — of water
  24. bulb — of a plant

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