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: march · staff · bulb · ruler · pit · field · wave · cabinet

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. march — music
  5. staff — a stick
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. field — a subject
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. pit — in a race
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. field — for sport
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. field — farmland
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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