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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. club — for golf
  4. cue — a signal
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cue — a hint
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. race — humankind
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bear — the animal
  15. race — a contest
  16. shower — rain
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bass — the fish
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bear — the animal

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