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 · fan · drill · dip · object · root · staff · track

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. object — to protest
  3. staff — employees
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. staff — a stick
  6. object — an aim
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. object — a thing
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. track — a song
  13. root — of a word
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. track — a path
  17. dip — to sink
  18. root — the cause
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bulb — for light
  21. root — of a plant
  22. drill — army training
  23. staff — employees
  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