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: bulb · squash · wake · march · mouse · saw · fall · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. march — the month
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. march — music
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mine — for digging
  18. march — the month
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mouse — for a computer

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