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: bass · pit · racket · land · court · net · bulb · cabinet

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. court — for sport
  3. bass — low music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. land — to come down
  6. court — of law
  7. land — ground
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. land — a country
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. net — in sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bass — the fish
  21. net — after costs
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bulb — for light
  24. net — for catching

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