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: rash · bulb · fine · rush · capital · net · racket · kick

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. kick — in football
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. capital — a city
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — money
  13. rush — hurry
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. net — after costs
  22. rash — hasty
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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