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: plane · bulb · bark · pit · mine · track · bass · rule

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rule — a law
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bark — to shout
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rule — government
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. track — a song
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bass — low music
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bass — the fish
  24. plane — an aircraft

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