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: fan · game · bulb · court · spring · mouse · pit · pound

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pound — a weight
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. court — of a king
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pit — a hole
  16. game — a match
  17. court — of law
  18. pit — in a race
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — of water
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. court — for sport

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