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 120 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 · march · fork · saw · plane · rush · field · wind

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wind — moving air
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fork — in a road
  7. saw — the tool
  8. march — music
  9. field — a subject
  10. saw — the tool
  11. field — farmland
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rush — hurry
  15. field — for sport
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fork — to eat with

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