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: bulb · track · bore · game · foot · mine · current · hand

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bulb — for light
  5. track — to keep track
  6. hand — in cards
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bore — to drill
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. current — electric
  12. mine — for digging
  13. hand — help
  14. current — happening now
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. track — a song
  21. current — of water
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. track — a path
  24. hand — part of the body

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