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: net · object · pit · foot · march · rest · field · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. net — for catching
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. field — farmland
  5. net — in sport
  6. rest — what's left
  7. object — a thing
  8. rest — a break
  9. field — a subject
  10. object — to protest
  11. net — after costs
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rest — what's left
  16. field — for sport
  17. bulb — for light
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. object — an aim
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  24. foot — a measure

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