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: charge · bound · file · bulb · net · straw · pit · wind

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bulb — for light
  4. net — for catching
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pit — in a race
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. net — after costs
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bound — obliged
  14. net — in sport
  15. charge — a price
  16. bound — certain
  17. file — a tool
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wind — moving air
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. file — a line of people
  24. charge — in control

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