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 120 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: wind · mark · saw · patient · firm · bulb · pitcher · stem

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. firm — steady
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. firm — a company
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wind — moving air
  18. firm — decided
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mark — to pay attention

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