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: file · bark · mine · bulb · bound · track · current · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for golf
  3. current — of water
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. current — electric
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bound — certain
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. track — a path
  12. current — happening now
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bound — obliged
  15. file — a document
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — to shout
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. club — for dancing
  20. track — a song
  21. file — a tool
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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