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: band · bulb · squash · court · pass · bay · lean · net

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. net — after costs
  8. court — of a king
  9. net — in sport
  10. court — of law
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. net — for catching
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. pass — a permit
  16. lean — to bend
  17. band — a ring
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. lean — thin
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. court — for sport
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pass — to spend time

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