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 · ground · wind · snap · pitch · dip · pitcher · bowl

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. ground — a position
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. ground — the earth
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bulb — for light
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pitch — completely
  22. dip — to sink
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wind — moving air

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