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: land · bank · content · rush · rash · bulb · field · swing

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. land — ground
  3. rash — hasty
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. field — for sport
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rush — hurry
  10. land — a country
  11. field — farmland
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. land — to come down
  15. bank — for money
  16. swing — to play on
  17. content — happy
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bank — for money
  20. swing — in golf
  21. content — the amount
  22. field — a subject
  23. swing — music
  24. bulb — for light

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