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: racket · bat · pound · straw · rock · bulb · court · foot

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bulb — for light
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rock — music
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bulb — for light
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. court — for sport
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. court — of law
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. court — of a king
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bat — the animal
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bat — in an idiom

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