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: tube · craft · mouse · stick · bulb · pit · current · club

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pit — in a race
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. tube — the underground
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pit — a hole
  10. club — a group
  11. craft — a skill
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. current — of water
  15. craft — boats
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. current — electric
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. club — for golf
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. current — happening now
  24. tube — a container

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