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 116 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: bat · land · rock · swing · saw · board · bulb · object

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. object — a thing
  3. land — to come down
  4. swing — to play on
  5. board — to get on
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bat — the animal
  10. object — an aim
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rock — a stone
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rock — music
  19. object — to protest
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. land — ground

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