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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. degree — from a university
  8. last — to go on
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. last — final
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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