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 · sharp · rest · racket · plane · file · spell · ground

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spell — magic
  3. plane — a tool
  4. ground — the earth
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bulb — for light
  11. file — a document
  12. rest — a break
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. file — a line of people
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ground — crushed
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. file — a tool
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ground — a position

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