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: trunk · file · fan · bulb · fine · mark · court · chest

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bulb — for light
  5. file — a tool
  6. fine — high quality
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mark — a grade
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. chest — a box
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. chest — of your body
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. file — a document
  19. court — for sport
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fine — all right
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. file — a line of people

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