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: ball · bulb · straw · pitch · fork · wind · current · rush

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. fork — in a road
  12. current — happening now
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wind — moving air
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pitch — completely
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. straw — dry grass

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