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: swing · rock · fan · bulb · bass · pitcher · land · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bass — low music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. land — a country
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bulb — for light
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. rock — a stone
  18. swing — in golf
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — ground
  21. bass — the fish
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rock — music
  24. fan — to cool the air

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