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: bulb · game · wound · tube · fork · object · chair · mine

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wound — an injury
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. chair — a leader
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. object — an aim
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. tube — a container
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. object — to protest
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. wound — an injury
  19. game — a match
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. object — a thing
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mine — for digging
  24. game — wild animals

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