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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. spell — letters
  4. bulb — for light
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. row — to paddle
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bulb — for light
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. spell — magic
  13. plane — a tool
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. perch — the fish
  16. row — a line
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. spell — a short time

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