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: chest · racket · court · current · toast · pound · bass · bulb

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. current — happening now
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pound — a weight
  6. toast — bread
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bulb — for light
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. court — for sport
  24. racket — a loud noise

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